Guardian
by Mr.Arkham
Summary: AU: A small malfunction in baby Kakarot's spaceship leads to him crash landing on Kami's Lookout. Sensing great potential power and anger inside the child's heart, Kami raises him and changes the DB Universe drastically as a result.
1. Crash Landing

_A lone attack ball speeds across the potentially infinite expanse of space, heading toward a small planet known as Earth. While the small football-shaped spacecraft is carrying little more than a monkey-tailed infant, whose mind is at present being beamed orders for his task on this planet, it's purpose is sinister._

_The infant being ferried across the stars is to destroy all humankind if left unchecked._

_The problem with the Attack Ball craft was the hyperdrive only worked fine 9 out of 10 times, usually it would malfunction mid-trip and cause massive speed fluctuations. Such as on this occasion, where baby Kakarot's ship suddenly suffered a small malfunction which slowed the speed of his craft's hyperdrive by roughly 17.042%_

_While the difference seemed small, it was interesting just how far the planet could rotate in a small timespan._

* * *

Mr. Popo quietly tended his flowers and his birds in the cloudy heaven that was Kami's Lookout. From here, upon this floating palace, a person could watch over the entire planet and monitor events the world over. It was so high, that thin clouds occasionally skidded over the polished marble floors.

One would think this sort of place would be exciting and interesting, particularly with all the mystic chambers it held inside, but they would be wrong. Not that Popo cared, he quite liked being the groundskeeper on the sprawling lookout. Despite being, at present, the most powerful being on Earth the Genie didn't have an interest in combat.

The dark-skinned portly Genie paused his flower watering for a brief moment and glanced skyward. Wordlessly, stood up and walked several feet from his previous spot, whistling for his birds to join him.

The sky above the lookout, for the briefest of moments, was set ablaze with varying shades of orange and red as a craft reentered through the atmospheric layer.

A white metal sphere fell from the heavens and smashed into the polished floor of the lookout, creating a deep dent in the deck and utterly vaporising the surrounding palm trees from the sheer power behind the impact. When a gust from the landing his Popo, he tilted his head to one side while his birds squawked and flew around aimlessly. "Oh dear. More things to clean up."

There was a rhythmic click from within the main tower of the lookout which gradually grew louder and louder, until the wrinkled green body of Kami emerged with staff in hand. His white robe and blue cloak fluttered lazily in the breeze, and his wizened eyes came to rest on the strange ship at the other end of the lookout " , would you mind telling me what exactly that thing that crashed into my lookout is?" he asked, sounding almost bored.

Popo gave a small shrug and strolled over to the alien craft, one dark hand wiping dust off the red canopy. He seemed blissfully unaware of the heat currently radiating off the Attack Ball.

"It's a baby, Kami." Popo remarked from a quick peak into the ship. "A boy with a strange monkey tail by the look of it. Certainly not a human child." the genie added, turning around to gauge Kami's reaction.

Kami's eyes had widened slightly. A fugitive alien child, crashed to Earth...Just like he had, stuck at the end of the Earth without so much as a name. Wordlessly he approached and opened the hatch of the Attack Ball with his telekinesis, watching the monkey-tailed infant tumble out and bump his noggin against the canopy. The child immediately started bawling, causing Kami to wince as the notes hit his superhuman ears.

"Well...He has a set of lungs on him." Popo mused, rubbing his elf-like ears from the shrill noise. Kami quietly reached down to wipe the Saiyan infants tears away. However upon seeing the gnarled green hand, Kakarot promptly stopped crying and tried to bite down on Kami's finger which was promptly pulled back.

"Vicious to boot." Kami added, watching as the child started pouting from the finger withdrawal.

"What should we do with him?" Popo asked, glancing at his master, who seemed to be deep in thought.

Angry this child may have been, Kami could also sense great potential power in him. He needed to be kept in check, and Kami was unwilling to kill an innocent infant. And plus, Kami wouldn't want anyone else to suffer from the same alienated childhood he went through "We raise him. Mentor him. And in time, hopefully we learn his origins." Kami replied curtly.

Well, one thing was certain, life on the lookout was going to get far more interesting.

* * *

_12 years later, Age 749._

Grandpa Gohan quietly whistled to himself as he carried two large tree trunks on his shoulders, walking up the winding mountain path that led to his small cabin on Mount Paozu. For a hunched, wrinkled old man,Gohan was among the strongest human beings on the planet, a master of martial arts and former student of the legendary Master Roshi. Now though, he lived a peaceful, isolated life on the massive Mount Paozu.

Little did he know how easily his peace would be broken.

Just as Gohan set the wood down, prepared to chop it to bits with his bare hands, he heard a rumbling winding up his narrow mountain path. The old man raised a brow and glanced over his hunched shoulders to see a car of all things coming up to his cabin, being driven by a young and rather pretty woman with turquoise hair behind the wheel. "Oh, hello there." he greeted with a small wave.

"Ah, hello sir." Bulma replied curtly, stepping from her Capsule Car with her dragon radar in one gloved hand. "It ah, might seem odd for a city girl to show up at your doorstep, but I was hoping to take your dragon ball from you." she said.

Gohan paled slightly, and blinked repeatedly "Ah...a dragon's what?" he asked, feeling that this girl was some sort of pervert. These city-slickers, so strange...

"Ah, no sir, it's nothing dirty like that..." Bulma replied, flushing in embarrassment. "The Dragon Balls are...well these things." Bulma said, opening a small bag and showing Gohan two orange spheres with stars engraved into their surfaces. The design was rather familiar to Gohan of course, but hes never heard them called Dragon Balls before.

"Oh, I see. Just a moment." Gohan replied, slowly walking into his small cabin and coming back out with his four-star Dragon Ball "I had no idea there were more of these things. What do you want them for?" he asked.

Bulma, at first, seemed reluctant to tell Gohan the true power of the magic spheres...but she could feel a kindness and honesty radiating fro the old man. Well, no harm in telling him "Well there are seven of these things scattered around the world. When brought together they summon a magic dragon who can grant any wish." the young woman explained. She showed off her dragon radar "I built this thing to track the unique energy of the balls, and when I gather all the balls I'm gonna wish for..." she grew rather flushed all of a sudden "I'm going to wish for the perfect boyfriend!"

_'Teenagers...'_ Gohan thought to himself. Still he kept a respectful, calm facial expression "Well if these things are as powerful as you say, it wouldn't do to let you go unescorted." Gohan replied "I'm quite sure there are others who will come looking for them."

Bulma bit her lip...She hadn't thought about that. While she had weapons they were mainly for aggresive wildlife. "Sir, no offence, but you don't seem fit for fighting."

At this, Gohan smirked and the corners of his bushy moustache raised up "I see you have a gun on your hip. Shoot at me." Gohan said, his hands folded behind his back. Bulma raised a brow, shocked at the offer. "Go on. It won't harm me, I assure you." the elderly martial artist replied.

Bulma was hesitant at first, slowly drawing the pistol. She took aim, shut one eye and then fired.

She didn't even see Gohan's hand move. He kept that smile on his face, tightly gripping the bullet between two fingers, scant inches from his wrinkled face. Without missing a beat, Gohan flicked the bullet with his thumb and struck it into a nearby boulder with such force that it exploded into nought but dust on impact.

"I told you." Gohan replied, giving a small chuckle at Bulma's flabbergasted expression.

"Y-yeah um...I could really do with some help on my journey, so feel free to tag along." Bulma murmured, still trying to process what this seemingly kindly old man was capable of doing with zero effort.

"Very good." Gohan replied, walking off into the small hut behind him and emerging a short time later with a red poll strapped to his back "I'm not a fan of weapons, but this power pole here sure does come in handy in a pinch." Gohan remarked, climbing into the passenger seat beside Bulma.

"I'm Gohan by the way." the old man said, extending an aged hand out to Bulma, who promptly shook it "Bulma Briefs." the replied cheerily.

"Okay, let's go!" Bulma said, grinning as she revved the engine of her capsule car and took off down the winding mountain path, kicking off her first quest for the Dragon Balls.

* * *

A/N: Okay then, start of a new fic. I'll try to update this one often but if I'm honest unless this story becomes absurdly popular, I'll be focusing the majority of my writing focus on my other DBZ story, The Fall of Lord Frieza.

Now then, before anyone asks, this won't follow all of Dragon Ball. In the next chapter I'll touch on the King Piccolo saga giving background details on what has previously transpired in the new timeline shown here. After that though it'll be straight into Z with the arrival of Raditz.

Sooooo, keep on reading and I'll see y'all again soon!


	2. Passing the Torch

_Age 753_

Kakarot's chest rose and fell rapidly as he stared Popo down, his shoulder-length blue cloak billowing slightly in the breeze that constantly blew through the Lookout. The young Saiyan adjusted his white top, bearing Kami's kanji, then the black belt atop his blue trousers. His white boots were scuffed with dust from the earlier sparring with the inhumanly powerful genie.

"Ngh...I'll get you this time Popo!" Kakarot growled, dashing forth and vanishing entirely from sight. He reemerged straight behind Popo and swung a roundhouse kick at the genie, which was quickly and casually blocked by Popo's forearm. The Genie hadn't even turned to look his way. Goku stayed flying in mid-air, hammering punches and kicks against Popo's rapidly moving arms.

For all the years, Kakarot had only ever succeded in getting glancing blows on Popo, even though he got stronger with each passing day. It had been much the same when Kami sent Kakarot to train with Master Korin. He'd spent forever trying to get the water from that damn cat, but he got it done in the end, and he'd get it done against Popo soon enough.

The short Saiyan was suddenly struck by one of Popo's powerful fists and sent soaring across the deck of the lookout, skidding to a halt mere inches before the main tower of the lookout. Growing frustrated, Kakarot gave a snarl and shot two fingers forward, a crackling blue finger beam flying toward Popo.

The genie opened his mouth wide and sucked the ki blast down his gullet, letting out a smoky belch once he had swallowed it all. Kakarot almost forgot about that nasty trick.

There was the sudden gong of a bell, and the two warriors glanced toward a clock Kami had formed on the deck with Magic Materialisation. A technique Kakarot was practising, but far from skilled with right now. "Well, time's up. Go wash up for lunch." Popo said, glancing toward Kakarot who gave a weary sigh.

The young Saiyan lived by a fixed schedule on the lookout, you see. He'd have two hours training with Popo, an hour and a half of lunch, 2 hours of meditation to bring his Saiyan instincts under control, 3 hours of mentoring from Kami and then a two hour long dinner, with a final evening spar with Popo before bed. So long as he was fed and got to punch things, Kakarot hardly cared.

Kakarot turned and was about to head inside when suddenly Kami emerged from the darkened doorway of the Lookout's main tower. "Ah, master." Kakarot said hastily, giving a respectful bow toward the man who'd raised him.

Kami smiled softly and gently pat the top of Kakarot's spiky head, ruffling his black locks of hair. "My boy, it seems a grave threat has come to Earth. An old evil has claimed the Dragon Balls, and I fear what he will do with their power." Kami informed him. Kakarot grinned from ear to ear as he listened.

"Wait, are you...Seriously letting me leave the Lookout to take care of this?" he asked giddily. Kami gave a nod in response, to which Kakarot punched the sky above himself "YES!" he yelled, longing for any available opportunity to leave the Lookout. The young Saiyan coughed awkwardly and looked up at Kami "I mean um...Thank you master." he said, giving Kami a curt bow.

Kami gave a low chuckle "Go, run along now. Oh and get a Senzu from Korin on the way, I want you at your peak when you meet this foe. I know you can handle him Kakarot." Kami replied, reaching over and patting Kakarot on the head once more.

Kakarot gave a nod and quickly dashed for the edge of the Lookout, somersaulting over and freefalling until he reached Korin's tower beneath the Lookout, whereupon he started floating and landed on the polished floor of the tower "Ah, Master Korin-" Kakarot began, causing the cat to look up from the pot he was watering.

He gave a very feline grin and flicked a Senzu at Kakarot, which he promptly caught in his mouth and swallowed whole. A sense of strength and vigor coursed through his body and he was refreshed from his battle against Mr. Popo. "Go get 'em kiddo!"the white cat said. Kakarot responded with a casual thumbs up, his blue aura flared up and he flew off, Kami telepathically directing him to the Dragon Balls.

* * *

"So it's out here..." Yamcha murmured, gazing out the window of the Capsule Ship. His leg was still shattered after a brutal strike from Tien, but he could sit up enough to gaze out at the gathered Dragon Balls. He ran a hand through his short dark hair and glanced to his master Gohan, who had been his master ever since they first met in the Diablo Desert, who was stroking his moustache in response.

"Yes so it would seem. We only narrowly beat that winged beast that attacked us, I have to wonder how strong his master is." Gohan mumbled. Indeed when Tambourine struck it took the combined efforts of Gohan, Krillin, Roshi and Tien to put him down. Bulma's Dragon Radar then picked up on all the sphere being gathered up and the group decided to investigate.

"Set us down here Bulma." Roshi said, sounding oddly grim. He had a very good idea of who they were dealing with here, but he didn't want to believe it...

King Piccolo had been released. Sealed away for so many years, and then released by a stumpy blue imbecile with no concept of the forces he was toying with, who simply wanted the power to kill the old man and scar-faced bandit constantly thwarting his schemes.

"R-right." Bulma replied, setting the jet down behind a large orange rock formation. Roshi fumbled for a few capsules in his coat pockets and then walked out with Gohan, Krillin and Tien. Bulma lingered for a moment, giving Yamcha a quick peck on his scarred cheek before following out with the others. Launch had been given her own jet to head to Kame House in, as her blonde half would do something rash and her blue-haired half was too sensitive for the scenario Roshi foresaw.

The sky darkened suddenly, black clouds swirling in the heavens, before a swirling beam of golden light burst from the gathered Dragon Balls. The beam grew and grew, ascending to the darkened skies until it finally took form into the scaley and monstrous-looking Shenron.

Roshi's eyes went from Shenron to the lanky figure who had summoned him. Green, aged yet well built, red eyes filled with malice and contempt. He wore a black dogi with a devil kanji proudly bared on it as his sigil. That was King Piccolo, every bit the monster that Roshi recalled all those years ago.

"DRAGON!" King Piccolo yelled, his booming voice seeming to reach the hidden group of martial artists. "I WISH FOR ALL MY OLD POWER BACK! I WISH FOR ETERNAL YOUTH!" the demon cackled. Shenron's scarlet eyes glowed for a moment and in a flash King Piccolo's withered form began to grow more muscular and less wrinkled, his skin becoming a lighter shade of green as it had been in the years of his youth.

"Oh no..." Roshi grunted, quickly pulling out the capsule for a rice cooker and tossing it at the ground, the rice cooker emerging from a plume of dark purple smoke. "We have no hope to stop him, even if we attack in unison...I just need you boys to hold him steady long enough for me to get him into the Mafuba." He would have told Bulma to take the jet and get away from here, but Roshi was well aware of how King Piccolo loved moving targets.

"Y-you don't mean the evil containment wave, do you master?!" Gohan asked in shock, fully aware that Master Mutaito's technique was a lethal one. The old man paused and looked back to King Piccolo "W-wait, what's Piccolo doing?" he asked, seeing the Demon King raising one arm up before Shenron.

Just as a ki orb formed in King Piccolo's palm, there was a white and blue blur which smashed King Piccolo in the stomach and sent him skidding into a distant boulder which exploded to dust on impact. Shenron was enveloped in light once more, the Dragon Balls rose into the heavens and were then launched across the planet in multiple directions. As the darkened sky returned to it's normal blue hue, Piccolo sat up to rub his wounded gut.

"Ngh...Who dares to strike me?" the demon spat, standing up to his full towering height. Kakarot slowly laned before Piccolo, a look of determination on his face "What?! A mere child?!"

Kakarot grit his teeth "I am NOT a child! I'm 16!" he said indignantly. Well that's what Popo told him, numbers were never really Kakarot's strong point.

From their hiding place, Bulma and the gathered martial artists were shocked beyond description. "That spiky-haired boy...knocked King Piccolo to the ground in one strike." Roshi remarked, removing his shades and rubbing his eyes to make sure they weren't deceiving him "Such speed, I barely even saw him."

'This guy looks like a younger Master Kami...weird...' Kakarot thought to himself as he entered a fighting stance. King Piccolo gave a snarl and fired two red bolts of ki from his eyes, Kakarot vanishing just before the blasts struck and vaporized the grass behind him.

Piccolo fired off a few finger beams which blew aart the ground, narrowly missing Kakarot every time. Growing frustrated, Piccolo fired off a large ball of ki which destroyed where Kakarot had been standing, leaving a smoking crater in it's wake. Kakarot burst from the smoke and gave a loud yell, roundhouse kicking the Namekian Demon in the jaw and sending him spiralling backward.

Kakarot vanished from sight and quickly reappeared behind Piccolo, one fist pulled back and surging with King Piccolo quickly corrected himself and swung a massive leg around. His foot struck Kakarot in the ribs, sending him skidding back and grunting in pain.

King Piccolo surged forth and shoved his clawed nails toward Kakarot, intent on spearing him. The boy turned into an afterimage at the last moment, and Piccolo's fist shattered the boulder to dust behind Kakarot instead. Kakarot's boots slammed King Piccolo in between the shoulder blades and sent him crashing to the grassy earth. Not wasting a single moment, Kakarot elbow-dropped the downed demon, making him howl in agony.

The demon's own elbow stretched backward and smashed Kakarot in the bridge of his nose, sending him hurtling backward. Just as Kakarot corrected himself, Piccolo flung a powerful ki ball backward which caught Kakarot in the explosion and sent him skidding back even further. _'Guh...This child is a monster! All my attacks succeed in doing is knocking him back slightly! At this rate, I'm as good as dead...' _Piccolo thought grimly to himself.

Kakarot gave an irritated grunt, seeing that his blue cloak had caught fire, and he promptly tossed it away to fully reveal the Kami symbol on his shirt. King Piccolo's eyes widened in shock.

"That's...Impossible..." the lanky Namekian growled, scrabbling to his feet. _'This boy is a student of Kami...Hehe, if I merge with him, this freak child will stand no chance against me.'_ Piccolo though, a sick grin crossing his face _'Now how do I distract him long enough to get away...?'_ the demon's eyes glanced about, and he faintly spotted Bulma and the others peering from around a rock formation.

Piccolo gave a vicious snarl and fired a golden ki bullet at the hidden group. Kakarot gasped in shock and flew to intercept the energy blast. Bulma gave a shrill shriek and shut her eyes tight, and was visibly trembling once she felt the earth shake from the explosion, the shockwave knocking her flat on her back. She slowly opened her eyes and saw Kakarot standing just in front of the group, one arm outstretched and smoking from where it had caught the ki blast.

Kakarot turned and helped Bulma to her feet, while the others were still in awe at Kakarot's speed and power "Are you okay miss?" the young Saiyan asked, bringing a small tinge to Bulma's cheeks. He'd had no real encounters with girls in the past, but knew some of their 'unique' features from the books he'd read.

"Ah...Y-yes, thank you."Bulma replied, slowly pulling her dainty fingers from Kakarot's grasp. "Who are you?" she asked, to the mutual curiosity of her friends.

"Call me Kakarot. I'm a student of Earth's Guardian." the small Saiyan said. He glanced toward the fleeing Piccolo, a dot in the sky now, and gave a low grunt "Sorry, but I need to stop him." the spiky-haired teen replied, his blue aura crackling to life before he soared after King Piccolo.

Krillin and Tien exchanged glances. Seeing how strong this Kakarot boy was, both knew that they'd need a major overhaul in their training regime to match him.

* * *

Popo awkwardly stumbled away from the advancing, wounded King Piccolo who had landed on the Lookout a few moments ago. He could stop Piccolo, easily, but he knew of his connection to Kami and how if one died, so would the other. Kami seemed to be injured to, leaning heavily on his gnarled staff.

"You...old fool! That freak hound you sicked on me, he could've killed us both!" the Demon King spat, moving forth.

Kami grimaced but made no movements "I'd rather be dead...than let you roam wildly again, causing carnage across the world...Especially now, when you have eternal youth!" the old Namekian spat, bearing his fangs at Piccolo.

Piccolo gave an irritated grunt and was about to advance further, before sensing Kakarot's ki "What?! NO!" he yelled, turning quickly only for Kakarot's hard head to collide with his solar plexus.. The wind was sucked from Piccolo and he gave a drawn out growl of pain, before Kakarot shot up and uppercutted the demon in the chin, leaving him sprawled on the floor.

"STAY AWAY FROM MASTER KAMI YOU BASTARD!" Kakarot yelled as he lunged forth, raining down punches and kicks on King Piccolo's wounded form. Every strike caused Kami to grunt and slump down lower and lower on his staff. He was breathing heavily, and sweat dripped off his wrinkled brow "Gh...Hurts..."

King Piccolo was sprawled on the marble floor of the lookout, bruised and bleeding purple blood across the once white floor. Kakarot leapt up and formed a blue ki orb in his palm, golden lightning coiling around the sphere "It's over for you! Taste my **Sparking Meteor!**" he yelled.

"Kakarot, no! Stop!" Popo said frantically, sliding in front of the downed demon, his arms stretched out wide "If you kill him, Kami dies too!" he cried out.

Kakarot's eyes widened, and the energy ball quickly vanished from his palm "What the hell...What are you talking about Mr. Popo?!" he called out, the genie breathing a low sigh of relief to see Kakarot's power drop slightly.

"Kami and Piccolo were once one entity. However in order to become Guardian of Earth, he had to expel his evil from his body...that evil called itself Piccolo." Popo explained, gesturing to the battered, barely conscious demon king. "The two are linked. If you kill him, then Kami dies too." he added, pointing to the slumped over Kami by the main tower.

"No...Popo you fool..." Kami said weakly.

"M-Master Kami...Why didn't you tell me?" Kakarot asked, landing beside Popo.

"Because...I can't let Piccolo live any longer not while he could live forever...And I knew that if you knew the truth, you would hold back." Kami grunted, gazing toward his adopted son.

"Guh...You old fool! You've doomed us both! I can feel my life slipping away from my wounds and I lack the energy to regenerate...If we don't fuse, we both die!" Piccolo snarled, glaring at Kami through one open eye.

"Master Kami, please...Don't die..." Kakarot choked out, fighting back tears as he watched Kami's aged form tremble in pain. "Just...please fuse with him..." Kakarot pleaded.

Kami saw the tears in the corner of the boy's eyes...He couldn't bare to see his sorrow. Kami was stronger than Piccolo, so he'd hold the influence if they were to merge together once more. Kami hoped, at least. "Kakarot...Give me your hand." Kami said, extending a shaky arm out, which Kakarot took hold of. A whit aura briefly enveloped the two, and once it passed Kami gave a shaky sigh. "I've just transferred ownership of the Dragon Balls and my knowledge of the Other World to you."

Kami gave Kakarot a weak pat on the head and clacked over to Popo and Piccolo "My old friend..." Kami said, smiling softly at Popo who was sobbing openly. "Don't weep. I will still exist...Do me a favour, be Kakarot's guide. You are a wise man, I know you will make an excellent mentor for him." he remarked. Popo could only manage a nod in response.

Piccolo gave a growl and sat up "You stupid old...We don't have time for this emotional nonsense!" the demon king growled "Quick! Fuse!" he yelled, extending a hand out.

Kami swallowed hard, taking hold of Piccolo's hand. He shut his eyes softly, felt a warm flow through his aged body, then the two Namekians were sucked together, merging into one body and one mind.

When Kami stood, he was wearing a black gi like King Piccolo's, but it proudly bore a white Kami kanji on the chest and back, within a blue diamond. "I haven't felt this way in a long time." the Namekian murmured. His body was still youthful, as it would always be from now on, though his facial features seemed more handsome and composed than the vicious demonic expression Piccolo constantly wore.

"M-master, your power is huge!" Kakarot said, stumbling backward. Kami glanced his way, a small voice in his head urging him to snap the Saiyan child's neck.

Kami breathed a low sigh "Yes. Worryingly so...And until I can reign my mind under control, subdue Piccolo's voice in my head, I cannot be around you. Not while that asect of my mind wishes for vengeance against you." Kami explained. He walked over, bent his tall form down, and hugged the Saiyan orphan to his chest "Goodbye my son. I am eternally proud of you."

"M-Master..." Kakarot said, tears forming in his eyes.

"No tears. This is not a permanant goodbye, we will meet again. I promise." Kami said as he released his grip on the Saiyan child. He dashed to the end of the lookout and dove off, quickly flying into the distant horizon.

Kakarot stood until Kami was a speck on the horizon. He gave a sniffle then walked over to the staff Kami had left behind, which he promptly plucked up. From here on out, he had to take Kami's place. From here on out, he was the Guardian.

* * *

A/N: Next chapter, we jump to the Saiyan saga with Raditz' arrival on earth. How strong will the Guardian of Earth be? Will he find a way to stop his brother's rage?

**Power Levels:**

-Kakarot: 350

-King Piccolo: 275

-Kami: 390

-Kami (Nameless Namek): 6650


	3. A Lone Invader

_Age 761_

After the King Piccolo situation had been dealt with, there was a very lengthy period of peace over the earth. But Kakarot did not slack in his training, he worked tirelessly at perfecting his physical and mystical abilities since he was given the role of Earth's guardian. He was a man grown now, standing at just 6 feet, his body marked by strong muscle, his chubby child-like face now the handsome mask of a man.

His outfit had changed little over the years, still a sleeveless white top with the Kami kanji over it, a jet black weighted shirt beneath that. He had a black sash around his waist and was wearing dark blue trousers and shin-high weighted black boots. He wore a weighted blue cloak on occasion too, but usually when wind became too much of a hassle he just went without it.

In the dawn's pale light, always a beautiful sight to see the sun gracing the earth even if he saw it every day, Kakarot strolled from the main tower with his staff in hand "Hrm...All seems well." he glanced to Popo "Did you sense anything at all Mr. Popo?" he asked.

The dark skinned genie shook his head slowly "I'm afraid not...Well, not afraid. Not sensing anything is usually a good sign." he said with a casual shrug of his shoulders. "Though those human martial artists have grown a little stronger from yesterday." he added. Kakarot and Popo had watched the progress of the human warriors with keen interest. If a threat were to ever come to Earth, Kakarot would personally invite them to train with him on the Lookout.

Suddenly, the Saiyan's eyes widened, and he frantically searched the heavens "Popo, did you feel that?!" he called out "A huge power just entered the planet's atmosphere...it's even stronger than me!" he grunted, clenching his fists.

Popo seemed to tremble slightly as he sensed the large ki entering Earth's atmosphere "W-well what should we do?" the genie asked.

Whoever this individual was, they were still marginally weaker than Kami was after his fusion. Then again,Kakarot had seen no trace of his mentor and father after his fusion...it was as if he had left the planet itself. "Well they've done nothing wrong thus far. If the alien proves evil, then I will intervene." Kakarot remarked. Still there was something eerily...familiar about this new ki.

* * *

Inside the Capsule Corporation headquarters there was a large training chamber that had been built for the private training of earth's martial arists. The walls were made up of small blue tiles while the floor and ceiling consisted of tiles which were white in shade. Thus far it was mainly used for the highly durable walls which could withstand the force of the warriors training, though was currently working on a special gravity function.

They had used this chamber for the past few years now, Tien, Yamcha and Krillin...Chiaotzu had just seemed to vanish after Tien rejected the Crane hermit as a mentor...No matter how hard he searched, Tien never found his old friend.

Yamcha, his long black hair tied back in a ponytail and clad in a white tank top over the orange turtle school trousers, threw a strong punch at Tien who was clad in his normal Crane school gi. The triclops casually blocked the strike, then backflipped over Krillin who had attempted to slide-tackle Tien from behind. The bald monk, as always, was dressed in his typical Turtle school gi.

Krillin and Yamcha both yelled and lunged forth in unison, hammering punched and kicks toward Tien who was deflecting and swerving around their various blows. However the two turtle students managed to get the advantage by striking both their fists forth at the same time, smashing Tien in the nose and sending him skidding backward.

Yamcha fired off a blue ki ball which exploded behind Tien and launched him forth. Taking an advantage of the situation, Krillin lunged forth and swung a kick at Tien's chin which caused him to spin upward. Tien gave a pained grunt, but quickly caught Krillin's leg. He swung the bald monk and then flung him at Yamcha, smashing them into each other and leaving them sprawled out on the ground.

"Phew...You're getting faster, but I'm still on top." Tien remarked, placing his hands on his hips. He'd proved as much at the last world tournament.

It was at that moment that the main door to the training chamber opened. Bulma stepped in, a small stub of a cigarette between the short-haired young woman's fingers "Hey guys, Gohan, Launch and Roshi are here. C'mon, quit dicking around you'll miss out on the fun." the scientist remarked.

"Eh? Boy that was quick. Okay Bulma, we'll be right there." Yamcha said, rubbing the small bump on his head his collision with Krillin had left. Yamcha and Bulma had broken up on good terms some time ago, because Yamcha's newfound commitment to his training had left the two spending less and less time ago. Bulma respected his reasons of course, seeing beasts like King Piccolo made her aware of the kinds of threats that would always befall Earth.

The trio of warriors quickly towelled off and dashed to the lounge of the Capsule Corp HQ where they found Bulma's mother serving drinks to Gohan, Roshi and his turtle. They could see the Blonde Launch and Yamcha's trusty sidekick Puar looking out the window at the city streets below. Oolong slowly entered through another door, munching on a piece of pie he'd snagged from the kitchen. "Ah, there you boys are!" Gohan greeted, waving to the group.

"Tien!" Launch called out, pulling the tall triclops in and hugging him tight. In Chiaotzu's absence, the schizophrenic outlaw had worked her way into the void. Tien was of course, awkward in romantic situations at best, so he simply wrapped an arm around the shorter woman's waist and tried to look stoic as his skin turned red.

Yamcha gave Puar a small pat on his head and then walked to Gohan, respectfully bowing to the man who turned him from his life of crime "So good to see you again Master. And you too Master Roshi." he said, giving the perverted Turtle Hermit a small bow too.

Gohan gave a nervous laugh and shook his head "Now now, I'm not your master anymore. You proved as much in the quarter-finals of the last tournament." the old man remarked, sipping the orange juice Mrs. Briefs had handed him. While Yamcha had beaten him, he went on to lose against Krillin who was in turn narrowly bested by Tien.

Yamcha was about to protest, before something caught his attention "T-tell me you guys sensed that too..." the former bandit asked, glancing over to Tien and Krillin who were both gazing to the heavens with shock written on their faces. Bulma, Launch and the two shapeshifters glanced about curiously, wondering what was going on, while the two old masters seemed to finally detect the inhuman power closing in on the city, closing in on the Z-warriors.

"C'mon, we're heading out front!" Krillin said, pushing open a window and floating out of it, landing on the green grass lawn which surrounded the dome of the Capsule Corp headquarters. Tien and Yamcha were swift to follow after, while Gohan and Roshi watched from the windows alongside the non-warriors.

From the sky, a tall figure descended. His skin was tan, his body was marked by well-built muscles, his spiky black hair was so absurdly long that it reached his waist. He was dressed in strange black and brown armour with shoulder pads and pants on his belt. His shin boots and fingerless gauntlets completed the ensemble. In addition he had a strange lens-like device covering one eye, which beeped at random.

"Hmph. Three high power levels and none of them are Kakarot. That little half-wit hasn't even destroyed the cities." the stranger grunted. The name 'Kakarot' caused them all to tense. How did this strange long-haired man know the Guardian's pupil?

"Who are you?" Tien asked, quickly entering into a Crane stance. The alien seemed unimpressed and clicked the devide on his ear.

"Not that I'm obliged to answer the questions of a lower lifeform, but I suppose you deserve to know the identity of your executioner. I'm Raditz, a Saiyan conqueror." he remarked. He gave a small hum once the device on the side of his face ceased it's beeping "Hrmph. Three-eyes has a power level of 810. Scar-face has a power level of 728. And Baldy has a power level 793. I suppose you 3 could have killed Kakarot before he finished his mission to wipe out the human race, but you won't find killing me even remotely possible." he remarked cockily.

Krillin gave a grunt and entered his Turtle School stance "How do you know Kakarot? He's this planet's guardian, he wouldn't try and harm our race!"

The news was like a slap in the face to Raditz...his own brother had gone native, and done the exact opposite of his mission's goals?! That numbskull! "Grr...Fine. I suppose I'll have to beat some sense into my little brother." he grunted, folding his arms over his wide chest.

Kakarot's brother...The news caused the trio of martial artists to tense up. They knew there was something strange about that boy who beat King Piccolo, but the fact that he was the sibling of an alien despot...Shocking to say the least.

Suddenly Raditz vanished from sight and was suddenly behind Krillin and Yamcha, his elbows burying in between their shoulder blades and knocking them forward. the duo stumbled but quickly turned to face Raditz and then lunged at him. They threw themselves at the Saiyan warriors, throwing their punches as fast as they could, yet they couldn't get through the Saiyan's defences.

One arm shot forth, and Raditz' palm smashed Krillin's brow, sending him sailing back a few metres. He went to uppercut Yamcha, but the bandit ducked at the last nanosecond and swung a foot up, nailing his foe in the solar plexus and sending him skidding back a few metres.

"We need to get him from the city." Tien grunted, cracking his knuckles. He lunged forth at Raditz, who shot both hands forth to strike. Tien caught his fists and swung the Saiyan warrior into the air, delivering a powerful telekinetic strike which sent Raditz spiralling in an arc through the sky "Come on, follow me!" Tien yelled, looking to Krillin and Yamcha.

* * *

Atop the Lookout, Kakarot's eyes had widened in shock. He had used his ki senses to detect everything going on down there as best he could, and once he got a good lock on the location he used his telepathy to figure out what was actually being said.

The news was shocking to say the least.

Not the planet-conquering Saiyan thing, Kakarot knew that his whole life. The Attack Ball had programmed that into his brain during his flight and even told hi of his mission. But Kami's teachings were what steered him away from a destructive, monstrous life of violence and villainy. The real shock was the existence of an older brother. The Attack Ball had omitted any information regarding Kakarot's family tree...

He eyed the battle with his supernatural ki sensing prowess, seeing how the trio had all went at Raditz attempting to push the long-haired Saiyan out of West City. Oh they were strong, oh they were very valiant...They even landed some clean hits on Raditz and managed to push him from the city...But the damage was superficial and Raditz was growing angrier and angrier with the defiance of the 'lower lifeforms' as he called them. He'd lash out soon enough.

"Once this...Raditz stops holding back, he'll slaughter them. If even one of the trio goes down, the other two are as good as dead." Kakarot remarked aloud, tossing his blue cape to one side, which his the Lookout's tiled floor with a heavy *thud*

"Mister Popo, I need you to get your magic carpet." the spiky-haired young man said as he removed his white top and then threw his weighted black undershirt behind him "I'm intervening." he added as he pulled his white Kami top back on and adjusted the belt. Popo gave a nod and dashed into the palace to retreve the red fabric ball that would turn into his magic carpet.

He just hoped he wouldn't be too late.

* * *

Raditz's fist struck Yamcha in the gut like a battering ram, sucking the wind from the former bandit's lungs. The force of the strike sent Yamcha soaring into the grassy field at the roadside, hitting the earth hard enough to leave a crater beneath his body. A pained groan escaped his lips, and he struggled to get up "He hits like a truck..."

Tien swung his knee into Raditz' kidney, causing him to howl as the force sent small cracks up his armour. He gave an engraged snarl and lashed his tail from around his waist, the furry appendage smashing Tien in the jaw and sending him spinning. Krillin flew down, trying to drop-kick the invader, who effortlessly dodged the incoming strike. He clamped both his hands together above his head and the swung down, clocking Krillin in the back of the head and sending him soaring into a large boulder on the grassy ground which exploded to dust on impact.

Raditz' beeped to life and he spun quickly to dodge a narrow yellow ki beam. Tien's dodonpa struck one of Raditz shoulderpads, shattering it off and leaving a burning gash on his shoulder, causing Raditz to snarl in pain.

Not deterred, Tien flew over and released a storm of kicks, making a few dents in his black chestplate before the Saiyan warrior caught Tien by the ankle. He yanked the triclops in and smashed his fist into his gut, leaving a dark purple bruise on his stomach. Tien cried out in pain, taking another punch to the face which broke is nose, before Raditz swung him around and threw him hard to grassy ground below them. "Bah...I'll slaughter you earth weaklings."

Just then, Raditz scouter beeped to life, and he whipped his head around to see Krillin forming a Kamehameha in his hands. His whole body was bathed in a blue light, and the force of the attack actually had Raditz slightly worried "1359...Hrmph..." he spat.

The Saiyan pulled one arm back and gave a loud yell, a crackling ball of purple energy forming in his palm "You think you can match a Saiyan warrior?! Unlikely you human trash! DIE!" he roared, shoving his arm forth and firing off a large purple ki blast, turning the once blue sky purple in colour.

**"HA!"** Krillin yelled, launching the powerful Kamehameha wave at Raditz, the two blasts clashing in the air and causing the ground the rumble and shake from the superhuman force. "Ngh...I'll die...before I surrender!" Krillin yelled, pulses of blue light running up the blue energy blast and pushing it up several inches.

"I wouldn't...Have it any other way!" Raditz snarled, shoving his arm forth. A massive pulse ran down the length of his ki blast, and it started to overwhelm Krillin's own. The bald monk gave a loud, futile yell as the blast enveloped him in a powerful explosion.

The dusty crater Krillin's charred corpse was left in, slowly cleared of dust and Earth's defender was indeed left dead in defence of his home.

"Krillin!" Yamcha and Tien yelled in unison, their blood boiling as they watched Raditz land on the grassy field, his arms crossed "Feh...As if there was any doubt on the outcome." the beast remarked.

Just as Tien and Yamcha were about to leap up, and Raditz was about to charge another blast, there was a small *thwip* sound. Raditz' scouter beeped to life at the new powers it detacted, and when he turned to face them his eyes widened in shock. "Kakarot..." he mumbled, seeing his spiky haired younger sibling stepping off the carpet.

Kakarot surveyed the battlefield, saw the wounds on Tien on Yamcha, and then saw Krillin's scorched body in a crater. He glanced to Raditz and clenched both his fists "Brother or not...I'm Guardian of this planet, and I won't stand for your wanton disregard of it's people!" Kakarot yelled, his blue aura flaring up and cracking the earth slightly beneath his feet.

* * *

A/N: Next time, a battle of brothers. Will Kakarot and Raditz be able to reconcile their differences? And what will become of Krillin now that he's down?

**Power Levels:**

-Kakarot: 1085

-Raditz: 1200

-Raditz (Slightly wounded and fatigued): 1172

-Tien: 810

-Yamcha: 728

-Krillin: 793

-Krillin's Kamehameha wave: 1359

-Raditz' Single Sunday: 1470

In regards to Mister Popo's power level...In all honesty I'm not sure. He's at least past the 400 region, though I'm unsure whether or not his battle against Goten and Trunks was canon or filler. And if it is canon, then it raises way too many questions... Ah well, Popo's not gonna be in many fights so don't worry too much about it.


	4. Brawl of Brothers

There was a tense silence as the two brothers stared the other down, nought but the sound of a whistling wind through the grassy field. The wind, at times, carried the scent of Krillin's burnt flesh past their nostrils but neither of the Saiyans paid attention to it. Kakarot shut his eyes softly.

He quickly sent a telepathic message which breached the dimensional barriers, reaching the Other World. _'King Yemma it's me, Kakarot, earth's guardian. A soul will have just reachedthe Check-in station, a human martial artist called Krillin. Please give him permission to train with King Kai.' _He felt Krillin would need some way to pass the time while he waited to be revived, and besides dying in defence of the earth was a death deserving of raised a brow at his sibling's curious behaviour.

Yemma's reply was swift enough 'Oh very well. I'll have an ogre usher him to Snake Way.' he replied. In an instant, Krillin's body simply...vanished. Much to the shock of Tien and Yamcha.

"You two, please stay back. This is a...Family matter, apparently." Kakarot said, glancing from the two humans back to his long-haired brother. Popo hopped off his magic carpet and started checking Tien and Yamcha's wounds, doubtful they had any major injuries.

Raditz scanned over his brother for a moment and then scowled suddenly "Where the hell is your tail?" he asked, now suddenly noticing it's absence.

"Got cut off a long time ago by Master Kami after a little incident with a full moon." Kakarot replied lazily "Not that I miss it. Damn thing was always getting in my way." Plus there was the obvious weakness of being grabbed by the tail, but Kakarot decided to stay silent on the matter. If need be, it'd be his trump card in his battle with Raditz.

"Hrmph, you just keep disappointing me. Failing to kill these humans, siding with them as their guardian, losing your tail...To think I once wanted you at my side in a battle to claim another world for the Planet Trade." Raditz grunted, entering into his brutish fighting stance. He shot forth like a bullet, yelling at the top of his lungs and swinging a punch at Kakarot's head.

The younger Saiyan narrowly caught his brother's fist, the force behind the blow sending him skidding him back a few inches. _'Strong...fast too! But he's unskilled as hell, I'll have to use that to my advantage.'_ Kakarot thought to himself.

Raditz shot his other hand out, but Kakarot ducked and quickly spun in with a roundhouse kick, his leg smashing into Raditz' side. The tall Saiyan gave a loud howl of pain, skidding slightly and touching the cracks formed in his chestplate "Well then...My little brother is stronger than I expected. No doubt this 'Master Kami' had a part to play in that." Raditz grunted.

He dashed at Kakarot and kneed his sibling in the face, sending him spiralling upward. With his massive speed, he shot up and punched Kakarot into the ground which smashed into a crater on impact. But it didn't slow him down long, as Kakarot quickly flipped onto his feet just as Raditz was prepared to divebomb his younger brother. "Yeah, it was. He did alot more for me than the Saiyan race, who abandoned me out here!" Kakarot yelled defiantly at his brother.

"Abandoned? No no. Our race is near dead Kakarot, our home planet destroyed by a meteor shortly after your departure. Only four of us left alive that I know of." Raditz remarked. For a brief moment, Kakarot glimpsed sadness in Raditz eyes.

Only for a moment though.

Raditz dashed forth, swing an arm down in a failed attempt to smash Kakarot's skull, while the younger Saiyan swung a sideways chop at Raditz. The strike was quickly blocked, but it did succeed in shattering Raditz's gauntlet and the ground beneath their feet.

The elder brother's knee shot up and caught Kakarot in the chin, sending him soaring up into the blue sky. He flew after the younger Saiyan, and the two aliens started clashing in the sky. They started exchanging fast pace blows in the sky, each landing powerful strikes on the other which shook the ground beneath them. Sometimes they moved so fast they completely vanished from sight, and from the look of things they were dead even.

* * *

Well, Krillin was dead. He certainly didn't expect that to happen when he woke up this morning. And he certainly never expected that the afterlife looked quite like this. He was in some sort of palace floating above an infinite sea of yellow clouds, and the bald monk found himself in a queue being ushered by strange oni's in business attire toward a desk. He seemed to be the only normal looking person as everyone else in the line was a strange smoky whisp.

The bald monk was soon before a massive wooden desk, made out of some special mahogany by Krillin's reckoning, with a positively gigantic red Oni in a purple suit behind it. The tag on the desk gave the hulking celestial entity the name of 'King Yemma' so Krillin figured he'd just go with that name and hope it was right.

"You're Krillin, right?" Yemma asked, lazily tapping his pencil against his crimson chin and not bothering to look up from his notepad. Krillin merely nodded in response, beads of sweat glistening on his bald head. "Kakarot asked me to send you on to Snake Way for training with King Kai. The path his treacherous, I should know, but you should be able to make it. Just don't fall off the path or you'll fall into hell." Yemma explained.

The lackluster explanation didn't make Krillin feel any better, particularly at the prospect of falling into Hell. Still, training would be a good way to pass the time while he waited to be revived. Surely the guys would take that Raditz jackass down, right? Right? "Well ah. I'll be on my way then." Krillin said nervously, scooching from the line and scanning around.

"Mister Krillin? This way please." A blue oni said, adjusting his spectacles before Krillin joined him, and then followed alongside him as he was led to this 'Snake Way.' How hard could it possibly be, Krillin asked himself.

When he saw it, his jaw very nearly hit the floor. Simply put, Krillin could see no actual end to this strange blue coiling path which did indeed look like a serpent. Getting to this Kai would be a challenge in itself, but then again that might've been part of King Kai's training "Just ah...Not that I'm worried anything, but just out of curiosity how long is this path?" he asked, sweat continuing to bead on the turtle students brow.

The blue oni scratched the side of his head in thought "Well, I don't know exactly...A million kilometres, I think."

Krillin almost fell over when the news hit him...Likely he'd be back on Earth before he was even halfway across. "Well I uh...Guess I better get started." Krillin mumbled, waving to the Oni as he sprinted past. He somersaulted over the giant snake head onto the winding long path. He supposed he should run rather than fly, get a bit more exercise...

* * *

The two purple ki blasts being fired from Raditz' hands seemed to swirl and merged into a a single beam which struck Kakarot in the chest and carried him down to the earth. They beam caused Kakarot to crash into a large plateau which was enveloped a large white dome, leaving a deep smouldering crater in the ground.

When the smoke cleared, Kakarot was breathing heavily and glancing at the burns on his white top which had burnt off more than half of it. He had some scorches and bruises on his exposed flesh too, but he looked no worse than Raditz did.

Both shoulderpads on his black and brown armour were completely gone, and the battle had destroyed his right breast. His tanned flesh and some dark purple welts on it and the strain of the battle was causing his breaths to hitch and heave "You should give up now Kakarot, it'll be easier that way!" he spat.

Kakarot glared in response, the shot forth so fast that he vanished from sight completely. His fist found Raditz' gut, causing the invaders eyes to bulge from his head from the force behind the punch followed by a shrill yowl of pain. Kakarot gave a loud yell and channeled his ki into one hand, delivering a powerful chop which sent Raditz hurtling to the earth. The invader managed to correct himself just in time, flipping along the grass and burying his feet into the ground.

_'I thought as much. My ki is beginning to surpass his right now.'_ Kakarot thought to himself, detecting small fluctuations in his sibling's ki. _'The humans softened him up a bit for me, and I greatly appreciate it. Right now I have a small increase in energy over him, I need to press my advantage and put him down before he does something rash.'_ he added.

The two brothers flew at each other once more and met in mid-air, dodging at incoming punches and kicks. The back of Raditz' knuckle struck Kakarot in the ribs and pushed him back a few inches. Kakarot gave an irritated grunt in response and dashed at his sibling once more.

A powerful headbutt disarmed Raditz, sending him stumbling back a few feet. He thought he was seeing stars, that's how damn dense Kakarot's head was. He swung a clumsy blind punch out which was casually dodged by his sibling. Kakarot ducked under another swipe and delivered three rapid strikes to the long-haired Saiayn's abdomen, shattering his armour further and leaving more bruises.

The young Saiyan swung a kick, but Raditz grabbed him by the ankle and yanked him in, smashing his remaining gauntlet against Kakarot's ribs and shattering the gauntlet it on impact. Kakarot gave a sharp yell and was left briefly dazed by the blow to the chest.

Raditz clamped his fists together and swung down, smashing thm into the top of the young Saiyan's head and sending him downward "Damn you Kakarot! I will not lose to you! I'm tired of being a joke!" Raditz roared, purple lightning crackling along his body.

Kakarot had managed to get to his feet quick enough, giving a sharp gasp when he saw Raditz forming a crackling purple ki sphere in one hand. He pulled one hand back and channeled his energy into his pal, forming a blue sphere crackling with gold lightning "Time to put my Sparking Meteor to the test..." he muttered.

Kakarot's Sparking Meteor smashed into Raditz' Saturday Crash in mid-air, both blasts lighting the sky in shades of blue and purple. The ground quaked and rocked, and the heat of the two blasts burnt the grass below into ash. Popo, Tien and yamcha could only watch in shock as the two spheres crashed into each other, neither Saiyan giving an inch to the other.

Kakarot grit his teeth _'Ngh...Can't hold anything back at all, but...I don't want to kill him!'_ he thought, the force of the two clashing blasts causing his feet to dig deeper into the scorched earth.

If it was a choice between saving the earth and something else, he'd always choose to save the earth, he promised Kami as much when he took up the staff.

Kakarot gave a high pitched roar and pushed in as much ki as he could muster. The Sparking Meteor smashed through Raditz' Saturday Crash, quickly closing in on Raditz rapidly. The elder brother gave a howl as the blast struck him, enveloping him in a thick black explosion. He fell to Earth through the smoke with a crash, the majority of his armour completely blasted off and his skin covered in burns.

But the small rising and falling in his chest signalled that he was indeed alive.

"Fuh...finish me off Kakarot..." Raditz croaked out weakly, balling his fists into the dirt. Kakarot staggered over to his sibling and stared down at his weak form.

"What are you waiting for? He killed Krillin, he was going to kill everyone else! You can't let him live after that!" Yamcha yelled getting up to his feet and swaying slightly in a woozy fashion.

Kakarot glanced from Yamcha to Raditz and back again before quietly shaking his head "Krillin can be brought back with a wish from the Dragon Balls...Raditz, you're my brother, and that's why I'm going to show you mercy." Kakarot said. Quite frankly the fact that his brother survived the sparking meteor was a shock in itself.

Raditz looked up shakily, the scouter on his face heavily damaged but functioning from the look of things "Th...Thank you Kakarot." Raditz said weakly.

Then a voice from nowhere cut in with _'Siding with your weakling brother? Hmph, I should have known you'd turn traitor eventually Raditz.'_

Raditz went white, and his eyes widened in terror "V-vegeta, no, you don't understand-!" but he was cut short by this unseen 'Vegeta' character.

_'Save it loser. Nappa and I will teach you and that traitorous low class brother of yours a lesson when we get to Earth. And getting a wish from those 'Dragon Balls' will be wonderful too.' _Vegeeta added. Kakarot could almost imagine the smirk on the face of this arrogant fool he'd never seen before.

Raditz rapidly reached up and tossed his cracked scouter off his ear, trembling in terror "No no no..." he muttered, continuing to tremble.

"Well, we have a mutual foe now." Kakarot remarked. Raditz shot a glare at his brother "You have no idea how strong they are you little half-wit! Nappa is at least three times more powerful than me, and Vegeta...He's more than ten times my strength." Raditz grunted out.

Kakarot seemed undeterred "Then we train and get stronger. This planet is mine to protect, even against the most hopeless of odds." he said sternly, standing up. Raditz was surprised...but he supposed if his only other allies were coming to murder him, he only had his brother to side with.

It was at that moment that a large yellow plane burst through the clouds with a Capsule Corp logo on it's side. As Bulma piloted the craft, she glanced out to see Kakarot staring up at the craft, her face instantly turning pink "He's...certainly had a growth spurt..." she mumbled to herself, quietly landing the craft. She jogged out to see Tien and Yamcha approach her boarding ramp "Ah, so good to see you guys are...wait, where's Krillin?" she asked. Their expression gave her the answer she needed, and she glanced to her feet "Oh..."

"It get's worse I'm afraid." Kakarot said, hoisting the injured Raditz onto his shoulder. "Two more warriors are coming to threaten the Earth it would seem." he remarked, carrying Raditz onto the plane past Bulma. He set his sibling down on a bench and then glanced to the heiress "Would you be so kind as to bring my brother to a medical facility of some sort? He'll need to be stabalised so I can go get a Senzu Bean for him." he said. "You remember me, right? I'm Kakarot." he added, extending a hand out to her.

"Ah, I remember alright. I'm Bulma." the turquoise haired girl replied, slowly shaking the hand that seemed to swallow her own in size.

Kakarot smiled sweetly at her, before becoming serious and looking to Yamcha and Tien "Your friend Krillin is currently training in the Other World, so it'd be best not to wish him back straight away. For now, I need you to find the strongest power levels around and bring them to the Lookout for training. If these two are as strong as Raditz says, then we'll need all the man power we can get." he explained. Tien and Yamcha nodded in response.

"Well, actually." Bulma said, cutting in abruptly "You might find my father's training room more useful, especially now that he's so close to perfecting the gravity shifting technology." she explained.

"Very well." Kakarot said, giving a grunt and sitting in one seat on the ship "Meet up there and training will begin ASAP."

* * *

A/N: Next chapter, the training begins. Who will Tien and Yamcha find to aid in the defence of earth?

**Power Levels:**

-Raditz (fatigued): 855

-Kakarot (Fatigued): 883

-Saturday Crash: 1010

-Sparking Meteor: 1035

-Raditz (Badly injured): 15

-Kakarot (Heavily Fatigued): 140


	5. Gathering Allies

Dr. Briefs had installed a medical bay in his lab many years ago, given how frequent injuries could be in a lab full of heavy machinery, and it as here that Bulma had led Kakarot and Raditz. The elder brother had his wounds cleaned and disinfected before being bandaged up. Kakarot was more sore that wounded, but he did have a few bandages on his skin under his torn clothing.

"It's suicide, you do realise that." Raditz remarked aloud, not taking his gaze off the ceiling "Maybe we can gro strong enough to surpass Nappa in the few months we have to prepare, but Vegeta? He'll slaughter us." he said grimly.

"Cheerful fellow, isn't he?" Bulma remarked, standing in the doorway and looking at the two siblings. "It won't just be you two you know. Get enough humans and train them up, they should make a decent force. Plus Krillin's getting special training, isn't he?" she asked. Kakarot gave a curt nod in response.

"Feh...A human could train for a hundred years, and he'd never reach Saiyan levels." Raditz said arrogantly. Raditz the weakling, still so full of undeserved pride.

"As I recall, three humans held you off long enough for me to swoop in and stop you." Kakarot remarked, crossing his arms over his chest. "If we train them enough, they should at least be able to deal some damage to your friends. Plus from what knowledge I have of King Kai, the knowledge he can give Krillin will make him immensely strong." he said, shrugging.

He glanced to Bulma then and extended a hand out to her "I have to thank you from the bottom of my heart for the aid you have given. I promise I will do everything in my power to keep earth safe."

Bulma turned slightly pink and shook his hand "Ah, so noble of you! Thank you so much, I'll um...I've gotta go check on stuff in the lab!" she said, before hastily leaving.

Kakarot tilted his head to one side "Well that was weird. Why do you suppose she's acting like that?" he asked, glancing over his shoulder to Raditz.

A long groan escaped the elder Saiyan's lips "How dense are you brother? I mean really..." he gave an annoyed and pained grunt, managing to sit up to look at his little brother "It's obvious she wants to mate with you."

Kakarot tilted his head "That so? Huh." he mumbled, unsure how to really react to that.

* * *

"So this is the largest human ki signature besides us eh?" Yamcha asked as they flew over a lengthy forest. He could see dinosaurs sprint across the grasses, hiding away in the shade as soon as they had crossed a clearing. Strange.

"Biggest one I can sense." Tien remarked bluntly. There was a large scowl on the triclops' face, still bitter with the fact Krillin's killer would now be working with them. It was a necessity, he knew that much. Still, hardly felt right. Oh well, at least Kakarot had shown he could stop Raditz if he got out of line.

The duo of human fighters flew until they found a large clearing in the forest, smoke from a camp fire billowing skyward and polluting the blue afternoon sky.

Down below was a portly man in samurai garb, a katana on his hip. He had killed a monstrously large dinosaur and was now grilling it over an open fire, munching on some chunks of dino flesh which was now charred black.

Yamcha looked uncertainly toward Tien as if to say 'Is this really the guy we're looking for?' while Tien gave a mere nod in response. Hard to believe, he understood.

The duo slowly descended to ground level, and Tien called out to the fat shaggy-haired swordsman "Sir? Excuse me?" the portly man paused mid-bite and looked up at the descending martial artists.

"Hey. Get your own damn dinosaur, this ones all mine." the samurai remarked, swallowing a large chunk of the dinosaur meat. He was actually a little stronger than young King Piccolo, but that was very hard to believe at a glance.

"That's not we're here for." Yamcha said flatly, giving a completely deadpan expression.

"You're a strong warrior sir, and we need your help." Tien added, crossing his arms over his chest. "There's an alien threat on the way, and we need your help to fight it off."

The fat samurai chomped down another lump of cooked T-rex, then started laughing "Aliens, yeah right, that's rich." he remarked, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand to clean off some stray dribbles of dinosaur blood and spit.

Yamcha gave an annoyed grunt "Okay, let me put it like this. Come with us and train, and you can have all the food you want." the bandit said. This caught the fat swordsman's attention. "I take it by that look and the fact that you've stopped eating, that you're in?" Yamcha asked, his hands on his hips. The swordsman nodded. "What's your name?"

He swallowed the rest of the dinosaur chunk and wiped his mouth again "Yajirobe."

* * *

Yamcha had gone on ahead to check out the second largest power level he could detect, given that Yajirobe was unwilling to move until he'd finished his food. Plus he didn't know how to fly, so that only added to the awkwardness.

It was 2 hours later that he reached his destination, a village on the outskirts of a large castle. Wait, Yamcha knew this place...What was it called again? Frying Pan Mountain?

The scar-faced bandit saw his mark, a female in a blue Chinese dress over black trousers and red boots, staring down a group of four hulking bear bandits. "Hehe, pretty one, isn't she?" one asked, brandishing his axe "Maybe we can take turns having fun with 'er while the others ransack the village?" he asked, grinning wickedly.

The female sneered and flicked her black braid backward. Without a word, she shot forth and smashed her boot intothe bear's jaw, sending blood and shattered teeth across the ground, knocking the hulking beast straight into the unconscious world.

She casually sidestepped a downward scimitar swing from another bandit, then raised her arm up to block the halberd strike of another bandit. The metal shattered against her skin and broke the staff in two. "Hmph. Is that all you've got? If you come out here to raid my father's lands, you better be stronger." the pretty dark-haired warrior remarked, smirking.

She vanished from sight and reappeared in the air just beside the scimitar-wielding bear bandit, promptly driving her fist into one shoulder. There was a loud snap as his arm broke, causing the bandit to roar in pain. His roar was abruptly silence by a quick punch to the brow which sent him sprawling flat on his back.

She dashed after one fleeing bandit and drop-kicked him, knocking him out with a singly blow. Finally the last bandit. She gave a yell of wrath, her skin flashing red for a moment. Even Yamcha had trouble tracking the movements of the red blur that dashed at the fleeing bandit. Her elbow struck him in the lower back, and he gave a strangled bark of pain before collapsing forward onto the dirt road of the village, unconscious.

With the last bandit down, the young woman breathed a low sigh of relief, while the villagers all crowded toward her, shouting chants of 'All hail the Ox Princess!' earning blushes and nervous laughs from the young woman.

"Ox Princess...Wait, this girl can't possibly be..." Yamcha trailed off, thinking in his head on the matter "Wait...Chi Chi?" he asked in shock, earning a surprised glance from the dark haired woman.

"Yamcha?" she asked, walking toward him once he landed "Gosh it's been years. Haven't seen you since Gohan and Roshi put out the fires around the castle." she said with a laugh "What brings you out to my neck of the woods?" she asked, dusting her hands off. The villagers dispersed slightly to allow them to chat.

"Well..." Yamcha trailed off, wondering just how to explain this situation without sounding utterly nuts. "Basically a threat is coming to earth, two super powerful warriors called Saiyans. We need the ost powerful warriors on Earth to come to the Capsule Corp HQ to train with the Guardian of Earth, Kakarot." he explained. Chi Chi cracked her knuckles.

"Hmph, sounds like a decent challenge. I guess I'm in, dad's more than capable of defending the village while I'm away." Chi Chi remarked, flashing a grin Yamcha's way "You ah...You gotta' teach me how to fly though."

* * *

An uproar of laughter rang out from Raditz' hospital room, the two brothers exchanging stories on their lives "Anyway...So dad invents this fake moon thing, so from then on everyone jokingly calls him a great scientist...Except for the dumbass Saiyan Elites, who couldn't freakin' understand sarcasm!" he said, earning another laugh from Kakarot.

When the laughter died out, Kakarot gave a low sigh "Brother, you're not as bad as you seem when you get to talking...Father sounded like an interesting man too." he added, grinning.

"He was." Raditz chimed in, getting comfy in the bed that in all honesty seemed to small for him "I honestly believe he could have dethroned King Vegeta, but sadly the meteor destroyed our home before anything like that could happen..."

There was a somber silence for a few moments, before Kakarot spoke up again "What was mother like?" he asked.

"In truth? I saw very little of her, as she was on assignments so often. Her name was Hanasia, and she was an Elite. I inherited her hair, but got dad's face." Raditz said, gesturing to his tangled mess of black hair with a small laugh. "Better than the other way around I suppose. You though, you're the spitting image of father."

This made Kakarot laugh, and he scratched the side of his head slowly. "She was one of the few people who actually supported me, whenever others mocked me and called me weak. She always said I had the potential to be more..." he trailed off with a low sigh.

This, once again filled the room with a sombre silence. Yet again, Kakarot attempted to bring the spirit of conversation back into the room "Hey...If Hanasia was always going out on assignments..." he trailed off, finding what he was about to say was a little ridiculous if he was born on the day of the planets destruction...Still, from what he knew about Saiyans, they wouldn't wait around to recover from giving birth...

It was at that moment, before Kakarot could finish forming his thoughts, that Popo suddenly materialised in the room atop his magic carpet. Raditz yelped in shock and jumped slightly, immediately wincing once he realised he just hurt himself further. "Master Korin has a few spare beans, since you haven't had need of them in so long." Popo said, flicking a small brown bag to Kakarot.

Three beans inside, it'd suffice. Kakarot flicked a bean to Raditz, who sneered at the sight of the green bean "A bean? What the hell am I supposed to do with one bean?" he asked.

Kakarot flicked the bean into his mouth and gave a happy sigh once it rejuvenated him fully. He felt stronger than ever, quickly flipping from his seat "Just eat it, trust me!" he said, grinning at his sibling.

Raditz rolled his eyes but did as he was told. His wounds healed instantly, and Raditz gave a triumphant yell, punching his fists together "I feel almost twice as strong as before! Incredible!" he remarked, punching his fists together again. "These beans make the healing tanks look like steaming piles of crap!"

He went to climb out of bed, before Kakarot covered his eyes "Brother, you're naked."

"So I am!" Raditz said with a laugh, getting under the covers again "Still, I hardly brought a spare suit of that armour."

Kakarot gave a small hum and raised an index finger, trying to envision a new suit of armour in his head. His magic materialisation had vastly improved, he just hoped it was good enough for this. A gold beam shot out,and in a split second it eneveloped Raditz. When the light cleared, Raditz was wearing a new outfit with vague similarities to the one from before.

The gauntlets and boots remained the same as before, but the chestplate was now red in colour and only had the right shoulder pad. He had given Raditz some black trousers too and removed the strange guards tht had been on the belt of Raditz' old suit. "Very impressive. Same material as the old one?" he asked.

Kakarot shrugged "I had no idea what that metal even was. I just made the metal for that one as durable as possible." he remarked. He looked to the last remaining Senzu in the bag and pursed his lips. They took an awful long time to grow, but they were an invaluable resource. If they had at least two sources growing the beans at the same time..."Excuse me for a moment."

He explored the winding corridors of the Capsule Corp HQ, finding it like a maze full of modern marvels. Finally however he spotted her, Bulma analysing the damaged, recovered Scouter. "Excuse me, miss Bulma?" Kakarot asked.

She tensed slightly when she heard his voice, but rapidly turned to face him "Ah, hey Kakarot! What's up?" she asked, tucking some hair behind her ear.

"You are a very wise and resourceful woman, thus I trust you could be of help with a project I have in mind." the Saiyan remarked, setting the bag before her. Bulma blinked in a curious fashion, opening the bag up to examine the contents.

"A...Bean?" she asked, looking back to Kakarot.

"Not just any bean, it's a Senzu Bean. It has mystic healing properties, and would prove very useful for the upcoming battle." Kakarot explained, scratching his head "The problem is, they take a long ammount of time to grow. So...I as hoping perhaps you could figure out a way to grow some more so that we'd have a secondary source of them?"

Bulma held the green bean between her thumb and index finger "That's quite a task. Might take alot of research to understand the conditions these things are grown in, and then I'd have to set up a special habitat for them..." she trailed off and looked up to Kakarot "But I'll ah...I'll try. For you."

Kakarot flashed Bulma a grin and bowed slightly "Thank you dearly. If there's ever a way I can make it up to you, please let me know."

Bulma gave a nervous laugh and set the Senzu down "Believe me, if I think of anything, I'll be sure to let you know..."

* * *

Tien and Yamcha had met up back at Capsule Corp shortly after the two Saiyan siblings were healed and then flew off to find the last powerful human ki signal they could detect. They had flown into a tropical, sandy country, flying and flying until they were over a large village consisting of ultra-modern Capsule houses. In the distance, Yamcha spied several large oil rigs.

They landed before the largest home, which was just short of being called a mansion. "So, the energy is in there?" Yamcha asked, receiving a nod from Tien.

A few moments later a tall, dark-skinned man exited through the front door to meet the two warriors. He wore a purple sash around his waist, yellow silk trousers, rather fancy looking sandals, and a neatly tied turban on his head. He had a well groomed beard, and it was this that stopped Yamcha recognising the man for a few moments "Nam...?" he asked finally.

"Ah, Yamcha!" Nam exclaimed, walking over and shaking the stunned Bandit's hand "I haven't seen you since the 21st tournament when we did battle. How have you been?" he asked.

"Er...P-pretty good...I thought your village was poor and that you were only in the tournament to get some water. What happened?" he asked.

Nam grinned and pointed over his shoulder to the distant silhouettes of the oil rigs "Struck oil completely by accident when looking for other possible water sources. You'd be amazed how much money it pulls in." Nam remarked "It's enough for my village to live in greater luxury than ever before."

"An interesting story sir, but we're not here just to catch up." Tien cut in "There's a threat coming to the planet, and we've been trying to gather up the strongest warriors we can find to help fight the incoming threat." he explained.

Nam listened intently, hearing no hint of a lie in Tien's voice "I see. Well that is troubling news. I have a wife and son now, so I will do whatever I can to keep them safe." Yamcha tilted his head, wondering just what kind of woman Nam would marry, when his question was answered when a woman with curly lilac hair stepped out of the front door with a baby in her arms.

"R-Ranfan?" Yamcha asked in shock, recalling the match the two had during the tournament. "Y-you two...?" he trailed off, pointing between them. Tien gave Yamcha a deadpan expression, as if to say 'Is this really important?'

"I tracked him down after the tournament for a rematch, but then we got to talking nd I realised what a sweet guy he was. Heck I had no reason to be pissed at him." Ranfan remarked "So we kept in touch and we wound up dating after a time. Hehe, pretty glad things turned out the way they did." she remarked, grinning from ear to ear. She stood on her toes and gave Nam a kiss on the cheek "Go. I'll keep the homestead safe." she said, smiling sweetly at her husband.

Yamcha was blinking in surprise at the affectionate display _'This is one hell of a crack pairing...'_

* * *

At the dawn of the next day, Raditz and Kakarot had gathered the human fighters into the Capsule Corp training room. Yajirobe seemed barely awake, while everyone else was standing to attention. "Hmph, this is really the best Earth has to offer?" Raditz scoffed. "It'll have to do I suppose." he added, rolling his eyes.

"A great threat is coming to the planet, as you all have been told." Kakarot remarked, looking over the group "Two conquerers from a race called the Saiyans, a race of which Raditz and I are a part of but we are nothing like the two coming to ravage the earth. They are powerful and they are ruthless, thus we will train you to your limits over the next few months."

Raditz chimed in then "It'll be hard work. You'll find very little time to rest under my training, and very little mercy from me." he explained "I will push you beyond your limits every single day of our training."

Yajirobe gave a snort "Psh, yeah right. That's bogus, I'm outta' here."

Raditz shot forth like a bullet and lifted the fat samurai by the collar, starting to flail him about wildly "You will train, or you will die you fat pig!" he spat.

"Agh! Yes sir! yes sir I will!" he hastily yelled, seeing stars by the time Raditz dropped him to the floor.

"Good" Raditz said, crossing his toned arms "Then let's start the training."

* * *

A/N: The subject of Gohan has been brought up a few times in reviews. Yes I'm sorry to say, but the canon version of Gohan will never exist in this universe. Kakarot and Chi Chi never met, and Chi Chi is still the fiery girl from the 23rd martial arts tournament. Of course, I never said there wouldn't be some sort of AU version of Gohan.

**Power Levels:**

-Raditz (Post Zenkai): 2700

-Kakarot (Post Zenkai): 2531

-Yajirobe: 310

-Chi Chi: 280

-Chi Chi (Ox Charge): 560

-Nam: 245


	6. The Return

The trip across Snake Way was an immense pain in the ass. Krillin had no concept on the passage of time, no solar cycle, no clocks...It looked the damn same all the time. He could've been running days, weeks...He wouldn't know. And he could hardly just turn and run back, what would he do in the check-in station? Play cards with the giant red guy?

But eventually he reached the end and had to leap up to that small planet. Gravity was immense, crushing...And King Kai was far from the mentor Krillin had been expecting. A portly blue man with long antennae, who had the most obnoxious laugh ever created.

His teachings were damn bizarre too, and this was to a student of Master Roshi. He wouldn't teach Krillin at all until he could tell a good joke (Which led to the previously mentioned obnoxious laugh), and following that Krillin was stuck trying to catch King Kai's pet monkey, and trying to smash a super fast jerk of a cricket with a mallet. But as time went on and days passed, the gravity became more tolerable, and Krillin completed those trials.

King Kai, despite being the biggest goofball Krillin had ever trained with, was kind enough to tell him of the incoming Saiyan threat and how much time he had to get as strong as possible. Right now he felt strong enough to beat five Raditz' with no trouble at all!

King Kai said that wasn't enough however, but then went on to teach Krillin a technique that just might be enough to beat the fierce Saiyan prince.

The Kaioken.

The bald monk stood amongst the grass of King Kai's tiny planet, grunting and yelling as he tried to control the rush of power filling every muscle of his body "It's...Immense! I feel almost twice as strong as normal right now!" Krillin said, giving a pained grunt and trying to maintain the red aura for a few moments longer before he was forced to power down "Phew...too bad it's so hard to control."

"Yes, the main downfall of the technique I'm afraid. Even me, the one who invented it, can't maintain it for too long." King Kai remarked, giving a small sigh. "Still, use it sparingly, and you should be able to inflict enough damage on the Saiyans to bring them closer to your allies' levels."

Krillin gave a grunt and sat in the grass "Well we've got a handful of months to prepare so with luck I'll be able to use it efficiently by then." he remarked, drumming his fingers against his thigh. He paused and looked to King Kai, who seemed slightly worried "Eh? What's wrong King Kai?" the former turtle student asked.

"There's a large power heading to Earth. Not Saiyan though, I can tell that much." the portly deity remarked, his antennae twitching slightly as they honed in on the energy "Oh, perhaps my old friend has finally reached earth after I sent my message to him..."

* * *

The training on Earth had been as intense as Raditz promised it would be. Oh to be sure,the first week was easy enough, as it was time spent giving the others a crash course in flight and proper ki usage. Even Raditz needed a little guidance there, his ki control was terrible. Tien had passed on some miscellaneous techniques to the group such as the Solar Flare and the Multi Form technique, and Yamcha for his part had taught the other humans the Kamehameha wave. After a few weeks of hard training, Kakarot started materialising white weighted chest plates and gauntlets for the group, making it even harder to train but it'd make the results all the more satisfying.

Following that though, the true training began. While Kakarot tried to act as more of a martial arts mentor, Raditz was a damn drill master who pushed the human warriors every single day until they were ready to collapse.

It was lucky for them then, that Bulma's research on the senzu beans was making some progress. She had a better understanding of their healing abilities and was finding ways to replicate them. Though she still claimed that she couldn't replicate the beans themselves just yet, she had managed to make a sort of potion which contained a fifth of the Senzu's rejuvenative abilities. 'Senzu Tonic' is what she called it.

Every day the group would be split into smaller groups to brawl in the Capsule Corp training chamber. Usually it was Kakarot fighting Raditz while Tien and Yamcha beat the snot out of each other, leaving the other three humans to duke it out. But at times they'd switch it up. Kakarot would battle Yamcha and Tien together, while the other three human warriors would try to take on Raditz on his own. This was one of those kinds of days.

* * *

Kakarot's arms were moving so fast that they were beyond the capabilities of normal human eyes to follow, swatting and smacking away Tien's four arms. He sensed Yamcha swoop behind him, and the Saiyan quickly backflipped over him to avoid a knee to the spine from the ex-bandit.

He swung a sideways chop at Yamcha, who managed to duck at the last possible second and kicked Kakarot's feet out from under him. Tien leapt over his friend and kicked the Saiyan in the chin, sending him skidding across the reinforced floor a few metres before he managed to correct himself and rub his bruised chin "Not bad guys. Remember the teamwork, it'll be invaluable." Kakarot remarked, reentering a fighting stance and lunging the duo, firing off rapid strikes that pushed the two humans onto the defensive.

Chi Chi and Nam both entered into their fighting stances before Raditz, who had his arms crossed in a bored fashion "Wait, where's Yajirobe?" he asked aloud. He shut his eyes and focused on the fat samurai's energy signature, before quickly spinning around and seeing him sneaking to the exit "Where do you think you're going, fatty?!" Raditz asked, glaring at the swordsman who froze up entirely.

"Just ah...Just sneaking off to get some food, ehehe..." Yajirobe replied nervously, too scared to turn around.

Raditz gave a snarl "We get food when I say we get food! Just for that bout of insolence, I want you to run 100 laps. Now!" he spat, firing off a yellow finger beam which exploded against the ground right behind Yajirobe, causing him to yelp and compelling him into a full on sprint.

The long-haired Saiyan alternated between blasting at Yajirobe's feet to get him running again, and swatting away Nam and Chi Chi's combined attacks. "Ngh, well this is hardly fair! How are we supposed to beat you with just the two of us?!" Chi Chi asked, while Raditz swerved and backstepped around her rapid jabs and swipes.

"Pff, like three of you could take me down." Raditz scoffed, side-stepping a palm strike from Nam and kneeing him in the face, sending him skidding a few inches backward.

Raditz cocky attitude causes Chi Chi's eye to twitch, and she gave a fuming snarl at his sheer arrogance. Her skin flashed crimson once more and she lunged twice as fast as normal, burying her elbow into Raditz' gut. The strike winded the Saiyan, who gave a strangled gasp of discomfort and skidded backward, clutching the cracks in his armour. Nam flipped over Chi Chi and smashed Raditz in the nose with a cross-armed strike which caused Raditz to skid back even further.

The two humans yelled in unison and charged Raditz together, but he got his wits just in time to block the double strike with caused a small shockwave around him "Ngh...Your anger, it's most impressive. Might come in handy." Raditz remarked, glancing to the smirking Chi Chi.

"It's a technique my father taught me, when I told him I wanted to be a defender of his lands. It's called the Ox Charge, and for a little while it doubles my strength and speed." Chi Chi explained, just before she hopped back "I'm pretty damn skilled."

A perverse grin crossed Raditz face "Hehe, that so? Well maybe we could do some private sparri-" he paused and suddenly looked skyward, as did Kakarot "Brother, do you feel that? It's a rather large power level...But it's certainly not Vegeta or Nappa, I know full well that their ki feels nothing like this."

Kakarot was...grinning, of all things "I know full well who it is! Oh this is awesome! Come on, quick quick!" he said giddily, dashing out the door and heading to the lawn outside the Capsule Corp HQ. The others exchanged curious glances, before deciding to follow after Kakarot.

Once everyone, including Bulma and her parents, had come to the green to investigate the incoming ki signature. A white ship appeared in the sky, a shape that looked like an egg on it's side with several ivory spikes for legs jutting out in multiple directions. On the front there was a large blue window, the only view port to the outside.

It landed silently before Kakarot, and a tall green figure stepped from the landing ramp. He was clad in an all white gi with the Kami kanji on his top, which was partially concealed by the navy cape that ran down to just above his ankles, his feet being covered by shin high blue boots. For a brief moment, Yamcha and Tien thought King Piccolo had returned, before they understood just who this stranger was.

"Master Kami!" Kakarot exclaimed, wrapping his arms around the tall Namekian in a tight hug, lifting him off the ground slightly "It's so good to see you again!" he added, grinning from ear to ear.

Kami gave a small laugh "Easy my boy, easy...I was in space when I received King Kai's message, and I had to come as quickly as possible to help against the coming invaders." he regained his balance quickly once he was set down, and proceeded to scan the other warriors.

"So you're this, 'Kami' fellow who raised my brother?" Raditz asked, stepping forth. Kami nodded, which caused the tall Saiyan to grin "Good. You made my brother a strong warrior." he said, shaking the Namekian's hand. "Strong as you are though, you won't be enough to beat Vegeta. Nappa would give you no trouble, but you're not even half Vegeta's strength."

Kami gave a nod "I'm aware of the Prince of Saiyans reputation. Fierce. But I did no t expect to fight him alone. I'm here to train with you." he explained. He glanced to Kakarot then "I had originally expected you to be on the Lookout. Surprised to see you out in a city."

Kakarot shrugged "Bulma's father can apparently build some sort gravity manipulating technology. It'll come in real handy for training once it's ready." he explained, gesturing first to Bulma and then her smoking, ageing father who was inspecting the exterior of Kami's ivory spacecraft. "More importantly...where have you been all these years?"

The others seemed uneasy. While Kakarot had explained the relation between his mentor and King Piccolo some time ago, and what exactly had happened when Kakarot pursued the Demon King to the Lookout, they still seemed on edge around a being who bore such a likeness to King Piccolo. "I've been...Well, exploring space I suppose." Kami replied. "I needed to...rediscover myself, to try and reign in whatever influence Piccolo held over me and keep it suppressed. I've succeeded well enough, but I had to abandon that pursuit when I became aware of the threat coming to Earth."

He looked over the gathered warriors, and a wry smile graced his face "Now then, let's get to it."

* * *

Training from then on only seemed to grow harder, with a mixture of Raditz' no-nonsense attitude to training, Kakarot's weighted gear, and the addition of Dr. Briefs' gravity technology. They started off at five times earth's gravity, then up to eight G's, then a few weeks later ten G's. By the time they reached their final week of training, they had only got up to twelve G's. But the results were impressive and their progress had been enormous.

The three humans Tien and Yamcha had recruited, who were only roughly at King Piccolo's level when the training began, were now all a bit stronger than Raditz was when he arrived on Earth. Yamcha and Tien were more than twice as strong as Raditz was when he arrived. Kakarot and his sibling could both paste Nappa by this stage, and Kami might actually be able to last a few moments against Vegeta.

Kakarot flicked the artificial gravity off and breathed a sigh of relief, casting his weighted gear off and letting it hit the floor "Well, they'll be here by tomorrow it seems. Popo has the Dragon Balls on stand-by at the lookout, but we're gonna give Krillin a few more hours to train while his body isn't as limited as it is in the physical plane." the Saiyan explained, looking over his allies "I believe it would be best to go over the plan one more time before we rest for the battle ahead."

The spiky-haired warrior coughed into his fist and then began "According to Raditz, Nappa will sprout the green creatures called Saibamen. While we're stronger then all of them, they still have deadly acid and will attempt to play dead and suicide bomb their enemies if they're losing. Yajirobe, Chi Chi, Nam. You three will take on the Saibamen. You'll be fine so long as you keep what I've said in mind." Chi Chi and Nam both nodded, while Yajirobe rolled his eyes. Kakarot glanced to Tien and Yamcha next.

"You two will fight Nappa. He's stronger than you individually, but through teamwork you should be able to best him. In addition, the other three warriors should be able to provide some aid once they handle the Saibamen." Kakarot paused and glanced to Raditz then "Nappa also has some sort of technique called the lightning aura, which will boost his power for a little while. Just keep in mind that the boost is temporary." Tien and Yamcha exchanged glances, Tien looking stoic and Yamcha seeming psyched for combat.

"Lastly." Kakarot continued "I, Kami and Raditz will take on Vegeta. It's unlikely even the three of us will beat him, but...Well we should be able to soften him up, and with Krillin's special techniques that he got from King Kai, we should be able to win." Kakarot said, punching his palm. "However if any of you are in real trouble, one of us will try our best to break off from Vegeta to help you." he finished.

Nam smiled and crossed his arms "Our foe is mighty, but we have strength in numbers. In the end, we will win. I have no doubt." he remarked, bowing his head slightly.

Chi Chi grinned wickedly "Hehe, well these alien jackasses came here looking for a fight, so let's kick their asses right off this planet!" She paused and glanced to Kami, Kakarot and Raditz, laughing nervously "No offence to you guys. You all rock."

Raditz gave a scoff and tossed his weighted gear away "Come on let's go rest. I've trained you as well as I can, but if any of you natives die on me, I'm going straight after you so I can kill you twice!" he warned, only half-joking.

"Great encouraging speech big guy." Chi Chi said, grinning and playfully punching Raditz in the arm as she went past. Raditz was convinced she was a Saiyan trapped in the body of a human...

As everyone filled out, it was only Kakarot and Kami left in the training chamber, Kami turning off the gravity controls "It was wise of you not to mention the hyperbolic time chamber." Kami remarked casually. "None of us are yet strong enough to endure it, and some of your allies would be foolhardy enough to ignore that."

Kakarot gave a sigh and a nod "I tried it, once. Before Raditz came to Earth...I only lasted for a few moments and barely managed to escape..." he explained. "The gravity, the constantly shifting temperatures, the air pressure...and the sheer emptiness of it all. I've never seen Hell, but that room is the closest thing I can fathom." he remarked, shuddering.

Kami nodded slowly, glancing to his student. He had grown so strong, yet sometimes Kami only saw the strange child that fell from the heavens all those years ago. "Are you nervous about tomorrow?" he asked finally "It's perfectly understandable if you are."

Kakarot frowned and shook his head "There's this...niggling fear in my head. That even Raditz doesn't know the full extent of his former allies strength. Like...they never showed how strong they really were or something." he explained, staring at the white boots on his feet.

"If they're anything like your brother, they probably can't control their ki enough to suppress it all that much. Plus, they're probably too arrogant to want to hide their strength." Kami said, placing a hand on his adopted son's shoulder in a comforting manner "I sensed your potential when you were only a baby. I know you can complete any task when you try hard enough. You are the Guardian of Earth, my greatest student. I have nothing but faith in you." Kami said, smiling warmly. It was hard to believe anything with any relation to King Piccolo could smile with such kindness...

Kakarot replied with a grin "I'll make you proud tomorrow master! I swear!" Kakarot said, hastily bowing. He rushed off then, dashing for the room he kept here in the Capsule Corp HQ.

Kami smiled softly, watching Kakarot run off "Oh my boy, you've already made me prouder than you could ever know..."

* * *

Kakarot paced slowly through the moonlit white corridors of the Capsule Corp headquarters, pondering on all he knew about Nappa and Vegeta. Two of the only other survivors in his race, and he'd likely have to kill them both...Assuming he could even harm them.

He shook the thoughts from his head. They'd win, of course they would. With great difficulty of course, and maybe a casualty or two, but...They'd still win.

Kakarot looked at the crescent moon through the window and pondered on it's beauty, and then on the beauty of Earth itself. It's forests, it's man-made cities, it's oceans...even the earth's deserts and frozen tundra's had patches of beauty in them. He had to protect it. He had to win!

He opened the door to his room, and was mildly surprised to see Bulma also staring out at the moonlit night. Her hair had grown slightly over the last few months, though she now tied it back in a small ponytail. They had become good friends over these last few months, usually conversing in the morning and in the evening, before and after the training sessions. Usually Kakarot would ask Bulma on her experiments, and she in turn would talk to him on his training progress. They exchanged details on their lives, their adventures and their hobbies and they grew to know each other quite well.

"Hm? Oh hey Bulma." the spiky-haired Saiyan greeted, strolling closer "Everything okay?"

Bulma turned to him, looking mildly surprised by his presence even though she should have expected him to be in his own room. "Ah...Hey Kakarot." she replied, her face seeming to glow in the dimly lit room "I um...I guess I wanted to get this all out in the open. There's a chance that you could die, or I could die and...Well I don't want to leave this unrequited..."

"Un...requi...requittal?" Kakarot said awkwardly, trying to understand that bizarre word.

Bulma sighed softly and placed her hands on his face "Our guardian, so simple sometimes..." she said softly, smiling softly at him "Just...I want try this, if there's a chance we could die tomorrow I don't want any regrets..."

Kakarot tensed, filled with unfamiliar emotions "We won't die..." he assured her, placing one large hand over her own slender digits.

"Even so...I've kinda' been wanting to do this for some time..." she murmured, standing up on her toes and pressing her lips to Kakarot's own. The Saiyan youth leaned into the embrace eventually, lacing one arm around her waist and pulling her close and pushing his fears aside for just a little while.

* * *

A/N: Bow chika wow wow...No but seriously, action kicks off next chapter (No not in that way you dirty perv), and I just wanted to breeze through the training as quickly as possible.

Power Levels (Post training)

-Kakarot: 6150

-Raditz: 6225

-Kami: 8275

-Tien: 3580

-Yamcha: 3195

-Yajirobe: 1920

-Chi Chi: 1850

-Nam: 1834

Yup, as you can tell, the more active training Kakarot and Raditz have given the group was alot more efficient than what happened in canon where the humans just sparred on Kami's Lookout all day long. And fought ghosts in filler.

As for Krillin's power level, well, I'll just keep that under my hat for now...


	7. In Defence of the Earth

Kakarot awoke feeling somewhat serene despite the grim occasion of the day. He felt Bulma's warm frame pressed tight against his own, her soft breath hitting off his neck. _'So that was sex...'_ he mused _'It's much nicer than it seemed in the text books. I look forward to having it again.'_ he added, grinning like a chimp.

The he recalled the upcoming battle, and his smile faded. He glanced to the beautiful heiress "I'll win. For you, and the earth."

Bulma's eyes fluttered open at his words, and she smiled warmly "I don't doubt that. Oh and I don't think I got the chance to say this last night but...wow." she said, grinning and sitting up in bed "I had some theories on Saiyan strength and stamina, but hot damn you blew my expectations."

Kakarot, despite the circumstances, couldn't help but smile and started dressing in his normal gi, while Bulma donned what clothing she had brought earlier. Then a telepathic message reached him, and Kakarot looked up sharply.

_'Kakarot, there's been a problem with the wish!' Popo said, sounding frantic 'We forgot that Krillin would have to cross Snake Way, even with is newfound strength it will take a few hours for him to get to the physical world.' _the genie explained. A worrying revalation, and Kakarot was kicking himself.

_'Have your magic carpet ready for him and get him to us as quick as you can.'_ Kakarot replied, pulling his white boots on. He glanced to Bulma as she did the last button on her navy blouse, and she in turn moved to face him.

Both her hands interlocked with his own, and she planted a soft peck on his lips "Go get 'em. I'm moving my parents to Kame House, we'll be safer in less populated areas." she explained. Kakarot gave a small nod. "I'll be rooting for you."

A small laugh escaped Kakarot's lips "I should certainly hope so...I'll see you soon." he kissed her with a passion, but he broke off before some Saiyan 'instincts' took hold of him again, and he moved to the window. He pulled it open and waved to the turquoise-haired woman before flying off.

* * *

The group of warriors had gathered in the grassy field where Raditz had first landed on earth, a wide expansed dotted by multiple large rock formations. The older Saiyan felt that his former allies would track his ship as it would give them some sort of clue on where to land. Or at the very least they'd try and destroy the ship before Raditz could use it to escape.

Sure enough, after a time two attack balls swooped over head and impacted the grassland several dozen metres from Raditz' own landing site. A few moments after that, Vegeta and Nappa floated from the craters, and landed before the gathered warriors.

Funnily enough Nappa, the weaker of the duo, looked the most powerful. He was monstrously large, like a shaved gorilla, the only hair visible on him being his thin moustache. He had a cruel, twisted grin on his ugly mug, scanning over the Z-fighters as if he was looking over his next meal.

Vegeta was a short man in white and gold battle armour, the main source of whatever height he had being his spiky mount of hair. His eyes showed a sort of malice akin to what King Piccolo had shown, and that cocky sneer on his face made Kakarot want to deck him there and then.

"Well well, brothers reunited. So touching...shame you only reunited to die." Vegeta remarked, tapping his scouter and viewing over the group. He seemed mildly surprised with the readings "Raditz is 6225, and Kakarot is 6150...Where was that strength all these years Raditz?"

Nappa whipped his head around in shock "W-What?! There's no way those two low class wretches are stronger than me! The damn scouters must be broken..." but when he checked the scouter, he got the same readings. "And that Namekian has a power level of...8275?!" he exclaimed. They both scanned the others, finding them less of a threat but still potent.

The bald giant gave an irritated grunt "Well, let's make this more fun." he said, pushing six dents into the earth with his large fingers. Then he planted several seeds into the ground, followed by a strange liquid.

The those things started to grow from the dirt, those horrible deformed green impish...things. They chittered and chattered, squawking like carnivorous birds, and then their red eyes settled on the human warriors.

"Remember our strategy!" Raditz yelled, glaring at Vegeta.

Chi Chi gave a nod and glanced to Nam and Yajirobe "Come on, we take two of those green bastards each! Let's make our sensei proud!" she added, unaware of the wry smile that pulled onto Raditz' face.

Tien and Yamcha exchanged glances and nodded at each other. In that instant they both understood fully exactly what they needed to do, pull no punches if they were to have any hope of saving the earth from these beasts.

Kami, Kakarot and Raditz lunged forth in unison, yelling aloud and launching attacks at Vegeta as quickly as possible. Despite their power and numbers, Vegeta was blocking and dodging their strikes with only mild difficulty. On the plus side, this did prevent him forming some sort of counter.

Raditz formed a small ki ball in his hand, shooting his arm up. He knew full well Vegeta would tilt his head to avoid it, just as he planned. he detonated the ki ball, and the explosion caused Vegeta to curse as the scouter was blown off his face.

Taking advantage of the brief moment of distraction, Kami shot his fist into Vegeta's gut with such force that it cracked his armour and made him wretch in pain. Kakarot's fists moved swiftly, delivering two swift punches to Vegeta's face, making him stumble backward. Then Kami delivered a powerful uppercut that sent Vegeta hurtling upward.

Raditz gave a yell and fired a Single Sunday from his palm, just in time for Vegeta to shove his hands forth to catch the blast and hold it at bay, giving grunts and growls as he kept the beam at bay, the ki burning his white gloves.

"He's holding back." Kakarot murmured.

"You sensed it too?" Kami asked, reentering his fighting stance as Vegeta threw the purple beam upward, the ensuing explosion causing a burst of colour in the sky which quickly faded away.

"Well, we'll just have to use his ki blindness to our advantage as best we can." Kami added.

* * *

Yamcha and Tien flung themselves at Nappa as quickly as they could, and despite having a small strength advantage he was having great difficulty keeping the two human warriors back. Tien swung a chop at the burly Saiyan's gut, shattering the plates slightly and causing Nappa to grunt in pain. Yamcha delivered several rapid punches to Nappa's face, causing him to stumble back and spit up blood.

The two humans pulled their arms back and punched Nappa in unison, the combined blow hitting his exposed stomach and senting him hurtling through a large rock spire which collapsed atop him.

The rocks exploded into the air once Nappa's faint gold aura flared up. His scouter seemed to have been broken off from the impact. He looked furious "You...Disgusting like backwater freaks! I'm an elite of the Saiyan race!" he yelled, the earth trembling and rumbling beneath him. Lightning sparked along his body, and then finally the gold, electric aura receded slightly, forming a small outline around his body "I'll show you, just why I'm a general to my people!"

He sliced his glowing finger through the air, and suddenly the ground before Tien and Yamcha exploded violently, sending the two humans hurtling skyward.

Nappa howled like a wild ape, leaping into the air and throwing a powerful punch at Tien. If he'd been even a little weaker or slower, the punch could have punched his arm clean in half. He moved at the last second and swerved to avoid the strike...only to receive a sideways swipe that smashed Tien straight down through one pillar, down to the earth.

Yamcha took advantage of Nappa's ki blindness, leaping from behind and smashing both his fists down onto the Saiyan's chrome dome. The blow knocked Nappa away, and Yamcha hissed in pain at the burning pain the impact left on his fists.

Nappa roared and rammed at Yamcha, smashing his brow against the bandit's own and sending him soaring backward several dozen metres. Nappa didn't waste a single moment and dashed straight after Yamcha, backhanding him straight down to earth "Go to hell you earthling piece of trash!" Nappa snarled, his lightning aura condensing into a crackling white sphere of ki.

Suddenly he was struck from behind by a potent Kamehameha wave, causing Nappa to roar in shock and pain as the blast launched him down to the ground and enveloped him in a powerful explosion. Tien breathed a sigh of exertion, seeing Nappa marching out of the smoke, the majority of his armour blown off.

Now he looked absolutely furious.

* * *

Yajirobe skidded away from one clumsy swipe from a Saibaman, striking him away with his sword which was still neat in it's scabbard. While the other Saibaman was shrieking and rubbing the new bruise on the side of it's skull, the second one leapt high and it's skull seemed to open wide, shooting a large stream of acid at Yajirobe.

The samurai flew over the arcing ooze, which hit the earth where the portly samurai had been standing and melted a deep gash in the ground, and then planted his sandal-covered foot into the back of the Saibamen's neck, launching him to the ground, shrieking all the while.

A white ki sphere formed in Yajirobe's mouth, and he promptly blasted it after the falling Saibaman. It struck him, burnt his flesh from his bones, and then reduced it's skeleton to atoms.

The remaining Saibaman gave a shriek and tried to run for it, but the samurai turned rapidly and pulled his katana from it's scabbard, slicing through the air. The slash, a thin blue light of ki, shot across the grassy field and severed the Saibaman's head from his neck, where it and it's body landed with a dull thud.

"I wonder what those little sprout guys taste like..." he mumbled.

Chi Chi, meanwhile, was blocking the rapid strikes of the two Saibamen who had targeted her. She shot a knee up and struck one Saibamen several metres across the grass, then she proceeded to grab the other's Saibaman's arm and flung him straight at his ally. The two crashed against each other, but quickly righted themselves and fired two pink ki beams at Chi Chi.

She raised her arms to block quickly, the beams struck her and shattered the earth beneath her. She was pushed back, but maintained her guard, and when the onslaught of energy passed she was still fit to fight. A few burns on her arms, her braid a little frazzled...but fully able to keep going. She lowered her arms and smirked "My turn."

Chi Chi dashed forth and buried a heel in the Saibaman's brow, leaving a deep dent in it's face and killing it instantly from the brain damage. Lightning surged up her fingers, and Chi Chi gave a yell, blasting the blue lightning at the remaining foe. It coiled around his body, and the beast shrieked as it was cooked and charred black, before dropping dead on the ground "Hehe...Maybe mister grumpy will be proud of that."

Nam dashed backward, avoiding a flurry of strikes from the last two Saibamen. He'd taken a few bruises and scratches from the plant creatures, but he was still going strong and determined to best his foe's.

He blocked the claw of one Saibamen and swung his palm up, shattering it's arm at the elbow. A howl of pain escaped the green beasts jaws, which were promptly silenced by a quick kick to the Saibaman's neck, shattering it.

"I take no joy in violence, but I must defend my planet!" Nam said. The last Saibaman gave a snarl and leapt at the Indian warrior. Nam vanished from sight and kicked the Saibaman clean into the air. "RAGH!" Nam snarled, launching a ball of fire at the green bean. It enveloped him and the ensuing explosion drowned out the dying shriek of the Saibaman as it was reduced to atoms.

Yajirobe and Chi Chi landed beside Nam, and the trio looked toward Nappa, who was punching Yamcha and Tien across the grassland "Come on, they need our help." Nam said, rushing over with Chi Chi and Yajirobe.

* * *

Vegeta raised both arms to block the incoming kicks from Raditz and Kakarot, and while the force behind the attacks was enough to shatter the ground beneath them it didn't seem to bother the Saiyan Prince in the slightest.

He backhanded Raditz away, the long-haired warrior carving a deep trench in the earth when he struck the ground. Then Vegeta grabbed Kakarot by the hair and smashed the low-class warrior's face into his knee, and then sent Kakarot sprawled across the grass with a quick punch to the jaw.

"You low class whelps. Get a little bit stronger and they think themselves capable of besting me." Vegeta remarked, glaring at the two brothers who were struggling to their feet.

Suddenly, blind to ki sensing, Kami's boot struck Vegeta between the shoulder blades and sent him hurtling through the air. Kami gave a growl and formed a gold ball of light in his palm, which he launched after Vegeta **"GOD'S LIGHT!"** Kami roared, the whole landscape aglow from the power of the energy bolt.

The beam formed a massive mushroom cloud from the immense power behind it, leaving another deep smouldering crater in the ground. Kami breathed a sigh of exertion, and was soon joined by the Saiyan siblings. He ut a good deal of power behind that, but it wasn't enough.

Raditz armour was missing it's sole shoulderpad, and the entire top chunk of the red plates, while both his gauntlets were also gone. The entire top half of Kakarot's gi was also lost, and he was covered in scratches and purple bruises. Kami was missing a chunk of the top half of his gi, and had large tears in his trousers. Purple blood pulsed from the wounds he had received.

Vegeta strolled from the crater, cracks running all along his armour and large burns in the blue undersuit...He had some wounds and burns on his body, but he was still marginally stronger than his foe's "A valiant effort Namekian. Still nowhere near powerful enough to stop me." he remarked. "Especially now that I'm going to fight at full power!" he spat, his purple aura flaring up and shaking the earth.

"N-No way!" Kakarot gasped, stepping backward "His strength his immense!"

The prince surged forth and buried his fist into Kakarot's abdomen, launching him backward. Before Raditz could react, the prince's white boot smashed into his jaw and sent him crashing through a large boulder, reducing it to dust.

Kami went to punch him, only for his arm to be caught and torn off. Kami's howl of pain was cut short by a powerful kick to the stomach which sent the Namekian tumbling across the ground.

* * *

Nappa's fist collided with Yamcha's ribs, sending him crashing to earth with a powerful thud. The bandit grunted and rolled onto his back, just in time to see Nappa mash his elbow into Tien's cheek and send the Triclops to the floor. His durability was freakish. Despite all the bruises and cuts marking Nappa's gorilla-like frame, he was still swinging mad against the two human martial artists.

"Hehe...That all you human scum have?! Pathetic, if you're the best your planet can offer, than we'll wipe you out in less than a day." he growled

He whipped his head around to see the three other humans dashing at him, and grinned wickedly. He dodged a sword slash from Yajirobe and elbowed him to the ground. He sidestepped a kick from Nam then grabbed his leg and flung him clean through a small mound of rock.

He turned to Chi Chi then, and grinned wildly at her. His fist struck hed and smashed her into the ground, then his boot hit her in the ribs and send her tumbling across the ground "Heh. Pretty lil' thing ain't ya. Think I'll keep you around a little longer."

Chi Chi grunted and stood up "Like hell you will Baldy...You want me, come get me!" she yelled, placing her hands to the sides of her head, fingers touching her brow. Nappa grinned and leapt at her, then suddenly he was blinded by a meavellous white flash **"SOLAR FLARE!"**

The temporarily blind giant howled, and stopped mid-air. Chi Chi charged at him, giving a yell as her skin flashed red. Her fist struck Nappa in the ribs, shattering two of them and making Nappa's howling even louder. She strained her muscles and raised both fists high, maintaining her Ox Charge as she smashed two fists into his bald head. he struck the ground and skidded forth several metres, leaving a deep crater where he stopped.

Chi Chi gave a breath of exertion. Ox Charge was a technique that could do some real damage to her muscles if she maintained it too long. Unlike the Kaoiken, it really was a technique to use sparingly.

"You...Bitch!" Nappa spat, sitting up. The veins bulged along his bald, bruised head, and he opened his jaws wide **"KAPPAAAAAAA!"** a gold light formed in his mouth and suddenly shot forth. It struck the fatigued Chi Chi, the noise so loud that she couldn't even give a dying shriek.

The humans looked to the smoking crater where Chi Chi was once standing, looks of shock on their faces. Nappa went to laugh "Hehe...Ain't that a sha-" he was cut short by Yamcha kneeing him in the face. The bandit yelled and grabbed Napa's giant arm, flinging the screaming Saiyan across the sky. Nappa's gaze spotted Tien in the air, his hands formed into a triangle.

"TRI-BEAM, HAAH!" the triclops snarled, a gold bolt shooting from his palm and hitting Nappa with a powerful explosion which launched him to the ground with a powerful crash.

Nappa, his body broken and tired,could only stare straight up in horror as Nam divebombed toward him. The Indian channeled as much power as he could into his arm, and smashed his elbow straight down on Nappa's neck, crushing his windpipe and killing the Saiyan brute.

"A life for a life, you monster..." Tien remarked, lowering his arms.

* * *

"Chi Chi..." Raditz murmured, looking to the scarred segment of the grassland where Chi Chi's life had been snuffed out. "That son of a bitch..." he spat, clenching his fist.

Kakarot placed a hand on his siblings shoulder "Don't worry brother, the Dragon Balls can bring her back." this, gave Raditz some comfort, until her heard that cocky mocking laughter from the Saiyan prince.

"Sorry to disappoint you Raditz, but if anyone is going to use those Dragon Balls, it's going to be me." he remarked, getting into his fighting stance with a smirk on his face.

* * *

Krillin kept rushing across Snake Way. So close now, he could see the check-in station on the horizon. He pressed on, as fast as he could travel, knowing full well how little chance his allies stood against Vegeta.

"Just hold out a little longer guys. I'm almost there."

* * *

A/N: Next chapter, Krillin vs Vegeta! Who else will fall at the hands of the Saiyans?

**Power Levels:**

Nappa: 4000

Nappa (Lightning Aura): 5480

Nappa (Injured): 3400

Vegeta (Suppressed): 11k

Vegeta (Full power, slightly injured): 16,750

-Kami's God Light attack: 10,425

-Chi Chi (Ox Charge): 3700

-Krillin: 9550


	8. Against All Odds

Vegeta's eyes glazed over the warriors who had gathered to defend the earth, a cocky smirk on his face. They were all inferior to him, even were they all to attack him at once they couldn't kill him. "Well, let's get this over with. I have to get the dragon balls and get my immortality." Vegeta thought Frieza had no idea on the Dragon Balls, but the tyrant had tapped all of Vegeta's communications, going on to learn of a powerful set of the wish granting spheres on Planet Namek. Right now, he was analysing the planet.

Raditz attacked first, yelling and rushing straight at the prince. His fist collided with Raditz face before he could begin to swing his own blow, and Raditz plummeted face first into the dirt.

Kami regenerated his arm in a burst of vile green fluid, and then he and Kakarot flung themselves at the prince, going to strike him while he floated about. Their fists his only an afterimage, and Vegeta was suddenly behind them. His elbows nailed both of them in the lower backs, sending them crashing down into the grassland, leaving deep craters where they hit.

"You know Raditz, Kakarot. With Nappa dead, the two of you could rejoin me. All you have to do is kill your allies and help me gather the dragon balls." Vegeta remarked, folding his arms "I'm not entirely unmerciful." he added.

Kakarot gave a grunt and rolled onto his back, glaring defiantly at the arrogant prince "Never." he spat, thinking of Bulma. He had to win, for her and the earth.

Vegeta rolled his eyes, and a fireball formed on his palm "Well, I suppose I shouldn't have expected a hard-headed low class piece of trash like you to grow a brain and make a smart decision."

Had Vegeta not felt a change in the wind, had a brief moment where his ki sensing sparked to life, then the battle would have ended there. Yajirobe's sword would have made it's mark and bisected Vegeta in half, winning the battle.

Sadly however, fate would not allow this.

Vegeta began to turn and saw Yajirobe moving toward him. The blade found flesh of course, digging a few inches into his skin just beneath his ribs. It drew blood and caused Vegeta to give a strangled gasp of agony, but it was not enough to kill him.

Seeing that his attack had missed, Yajirobe's eyes widened in absolute horror "Shit, shit!" he yelled, turning to face Vegeta and pulling himself into another sword stance in mid-air.

"You fat bastard!" Vegeta roared, launching the fireball at the weaker warrior. The blaze quickly engulfed his portly body, cooking away everything that had been Yajirobe, except for his blade. The sword fell to earth and clanged noisily by Raditz.

The other defenders of earth stared in shock to the fading plume of smoke in the sky that had once been Yajirobe. Vegeta grunted and gripped his bleeding side, feeling the wound had damaged his ki slightly. Raditz stood up slowly, and gripped the discarded katana firmly in his hand.

"You were obnoxious, you were lazy, you were a glutton...But you died a warrior." he shut his eyes for a moment and then glared up at Vegeta "Goodbye Yajirobe. I'll be sure to stain this blade with more of Vegeta's blood, in your honour."

"Murderer!" Kakarot snarled, leaping at Vegeta and swinging punches as quickly as he could. Despite his new wound, Vegeta was having no trouble dodging the strikes, and promptly smashed his fist into Kakarot's face. He delivered several rapid punches to Kakarot's abdomen, breaking some ribs, before elbowing him down to earth, where he laid unable to get back up anymore. "Nghu...Too strong..."

Nam had managed to glide silently over to Vegeta while he spent a few moments quietly gloating to himself. Nam made a quick horizontal chop and struck Vegeta in his wound, making him howl in agony as white hot jets of pain ran up his spine "You will not win you conquering despot!"

He went to deliver a powerful palm strike to Vegeta's face, but the enraged prince quickly delivered a haymaker which sent Nam hurtling down to the ground. He crashed into plateau which shattered beneath him, and there he laid. Breathing, just barely.

"C-crap..." Yamcha muttered, looking to Tien "Chi Chi and Yajirobe are dead,Kakarot and Nam are out cold...What the Hell are we going to do?!" he yelled.

Tien was quiet for a moment, before sliding into a stance, cupping his hands at his sides "We fight. To the bitter end" he answered simply, his ki building and forming into a Kamehameha wave.

"Keep charging." Raditz said, walking past them with Yajirobe's sword clutched tight "I'm going to try and get a sneak attack on Vegeta." Yamcha gave a weak nod in response, and tried to replicate Tien's motions despite his fear.

Kami had lunged at Vegeta, swinging punches and kicks as quickly as he could, pushing Vegeta to ground level. Despite his best efforts though, he didn't manage to land any punches. "Piss OFF!" Vegeta snarled, backhanding Kami away and causing him to bounce along the grassland a few times, leaving him collapsed on the ground barely awake.

Vegeta strolled toward him, one fist clenched tight "Pathetic, I've beaten every one of you pathetic weaklings. You, Kakarot, Radi-..." he stopped. Where was Raditz?!

He turned just as Raditz began to swing the katana upward. Vegeta took a frantic stumble backward, the blade dug through his armour and sunk about an inch into Vegeta's flesh. The upward motion of the blade left a gash on Vegeta's torso that ran from his navel to his left breast. It drew blood, but far from enough to kill him.

Vegeta shot one hand forth, a telekinetic strike nailing Raditz in the jaw and sending him hurtling away. The katana flew away discarded and landed in a the grass., while Raditz hit the earth with a pained thud. Vegeta leapt high and crashed his knee down on Raditz own, shattering the kneecap of the lower class warrior who shrieked in agony.

"Just like you Raditz...To act the coward and try to kill me with a sneak attack." Vegeta grunted, floating up while Raditz writhed in indescribable agony. Vegeta raised a hand, ready to blast Raditz to bits. Then a blue light on the horizon caught his gaze.

Two powerful Kamehameha waves soared toward him, and seemed to swirl and merge together into one typhoon of wrath. Moving swiftly, the prince crossed his arms above his chest just as the beam collided with him. The ensuing explosion rocked the ground below and filled the cloud with thick black smog...But once it vanished, Vegeta was alive. A little crispy and missing mor chunks of armour, but alive.

"No...No way. I put everything I had left into that..." Tien grunted, collapsing to one knee from fatigue.

"Damnit...We...failed?" Yamcha asked, his legs trembling in an attempt to stay upright.

Vegeta gave an enraged roar "You annoying little-! I'll blast you all to bits!" he snarled, energy crackling along his body.

"I don't think so!" an unfamiliar voice called out. Vegeta turned swiftly, seeing a bald monk floating in the air, dressed in an orange gi "If anyone's going down, it's you!"

* * *

From the safety of Kame house, Bulma had been monitoring the battle as best she could by using her modified scouter.

"I think things are looking up guys." the turquoise haired girl remarked, the gathered group looking at her in mild surprise "A new power level showed up. He's not as strong as Vegeta is, but he might just weaken him enough to send him running." she remarked.

She gasped in shock then, and Roshi looked toward her "Eh?! What's wrong Bulma?!" he asked out of worry.

"Th-the new guy, his power level just doubled!" she gasped out. She could only hope that this newcomer was on their side _'Kakarot, please be okay...'_

* * *

Vegeta didn't even know what had happened. He had started laughing and mocking the short figure, daring him to attack him. The monk smirked and said something along the lines of 'Kaioken times two.' then all he saw were flashes of red as he was repeatedly punched in the head by the short human.

Krilling swung his foot out, catching Vegeta in the side and sending him hurtling to the ground. Vegeta tumbled down and landed on his feet, glaring up at Krillin "Well...You are something. That...Kaioken, is that what you called it? A useful technique but I've seen something like it in the past. I overcame it, and I'll overcome this."

Krillin's crimson aura faded, and he breathed a sigh of exertion "I doubt it. My friends have weakened you, and your ki is dribbling away like your blood. I should be able to win this."

That comment drove Vegeta ballistic. He shot up like a purple bullet and punched him repeatedly in the chest, before delivering a quick roundhouse to his face that blew him through a large hill of stone.

He dove after Krillin and kneed him in the face just as he got up, sending him tumbling quickly blocked another kick from Vegeta, and then threw him by the leg across the grasslands. Krillin flipped into the sky and went to deliver a double kick to Vegeta's face. But Vegeta caught him by the ankles and thrashed him about, kicking up a storm of rock and earth, before flinging Krillin away.

Vegeta formed a white hot sphere of purple ki in his palm and flung it at Krillin. The monk narrowly blocked the energy blast, the explosion from it leaving a deep hemispherical crater in the grassland, scorching away all the surrounding grass.

Krillin had some dribbles of blood running down his mouth and from a small gash in his brow, his arms were covered in burns, and he had a large purple bruise on his jaw. The top part of his turtle school gi had been burnt off. But he was smiling. Vegeta gave an irritated growl "Just stay down damn you!"

"Never." Krillin grunted, getting back into his fighting stance.

From where he was, Krillin and Vegeta were mere dots on the horizon. Still he could sense their energies well enough "Come on Krillin...You have to win, you're our last hope..."

Krillin backflipped away from a downward punch by Vegeta, and promptly landed on his feet **"KAIOKEN, TIMES TWO!"** His aura flared to life, and faster than Vegeta could react to Krillin lunged upon him. He landed three rapid punched on the wound on Vegeta's side, making him gag in agony as the wound widened and deepened.

He punched Vegeta over a dozen metres away, the force of the blow shattering his armour further, then he was suddenly behind Vegeta. He swung both feet up into the prince's back and sent him hurtling several dozen metres into the air before he corrected himself.

The once cocky prince was fuming, enraged beyond words, the veins on his brow bulging up. "I...Will not stand for this!" Vegeta roared, pulling both his hands back and cupping them behind his head "I'LL DESTROY YOU, AND THIS WHOLE WRETCHED PLANET!" his whole body began to glow purple, a similar coloured lightning arcing about his short frame.

Krillin gulped hard "With that kind of power, he might be able to do it! Ugh...My body is sort from those punches and my Kaioken burst...But I gotta do something!" the monk said, sliding his legs apart and cupping his hands at his hips. A blue ki sphere began forming between his hands "Ka...Me..."

Vegeta's power output set the whole sky purple "GALLICK..."

The ground quaked and rumbled beneath Krillin's feet "Ha...Me..."

**"GUN!"**

**"...HA!"**

The purple and blue beams clashed in the sky, and for that brief moment the whole sky flashed white. Vegeta seemed to have an advantage though, his Gallick Gun slowly forcing inch after inch closer to the planet "HAHA! YOU'RE AS GOOD AS DEAD BALDY!"

He didn't want to admit it, but...He was losing. Krillin could feel that his current power level could do little to halt the incoming strike. He thought back to his death at Raditz' hand months ago..."Never again..." Krillin growled.

He started to power up, his teeth clenched "Kaioken, times..."

He could hear King Kai screaming in his mind _'Ah! Krillin stop, you can't push the Kaioken too high, you'll kill yourself!'_ he warned.

If he didn't push himself enough he'd die, if he pushed himself too far he'd die...Better just him die, than the entire planet earth, right? **"...THREE!"** Krillin roared, his crimson aura flaring to life and shattering the land beneath his feet.

His Kamehameha surged in might and sized and rapidly overwhelmed Vegeta's attack. The prince screamed as the Kamehameha struck him, and the empowered beam of blue ki sailed in an arc across the horizon. It struck a distant mountain range, and the explosion from the collision was so bright and powerful that it briefly blinded folks for miles around, and once the radiant flash faded the entire mountain range had been levelled into a deep smouldering black crater.

Krillin stood on shaky legs, pain wrecking his entire body...He had pushed himself further than he should have, and likely he'd be in pain for quite some time. But for the time being he could keep going. He stood silently, trying to sense Vegeta.

"Gone." the bald monk murmured, allowing himself to smile. He shut his eyes, then collapsed into the cracked rocky earth beneath him.

* * *

Vegeta cracked one eye open, giving a weak croak of pain. His broken, fatigued form, was at the heart of the ruined crater, barely able to move "A human...And a pair of low class weaklings..." he mumbled "I will...get my revenge for this insult to my pride..." Vegeta spat, trying to sit up.

he felt a sharp pain in his leg and cried out, falling flat on his back "My leg...Broken?" he asked aloud. He recalled the last moments before he lost consciousness, how his leg smashed the rock of a mountain and was twisted at an unnatural angle, the snap of bone being the last thing that he heard before blacking out.

Well he could hardly fight now, that was for sure.

He fumbled about and gripped the remote of his attack ball, tapping the buttons on it. He laid back for a few moments, and then finally the white sphere came to him and landed beside him. The door slid open, and Vegeta managed to float just enough to get his broken form into the craft "I...Will have my revenge..." he grunted, punching in coordinates for a nearby planet trade outpost. He passed out again, just as the attack ball began it's ascent off the earth's crust.

* * *

A/N: Thus ends the Saiyan saga. Still, Kami is worried that Vegeta has survived and also fears for the safety of his home planet. What threats will await the group on the trip to Namek?

**Power Levels:**

- Vegeta (Wounded): 16,700

- Tien and Yamcha's combined Kamehameha: 9765

- Krillin (Kaioken x2): 19,100

-Krillin (Slightly wounded and fatigued): 8250

- Vegeta's Gallick Gun: 21,550

-Krillin's Kaioken x3 Kamehameha: 25,000


	9. The Voyage Begins

Krillin's eyes popped open slowly and he found himself not in a battle-scarred wasteland, but in fact a clean hospital room. He sat up, wincing as the pain in his muscles hit him and forced him back into a sitting position.

"Ah! He's awake!" Yamcha called out, he, Tien and Kami coming over to have a look at him. They had their bandages and plasters too, but they could clearly move better than Krillin. "Sheesh man, you had us worried, you've been out for over a whole day...Couldn't have you dying again right after you saved our asses, could we?" Yamcha asked.

Krillin croaked out a laugh, tilting his head to the other beds. Nam was asleep on his own, but he seemed like he was just resting. Kakarot and his brother were heavily bandaged, and Kakarot was fast asleep. Raditz glanced over to Krillin "Ah. Hey." he greeted awkwardly.

"Sup." Krillin said, sounding equally awkward.

"Look ah...Look, I'm sorry for...killing you. I've changed alot since then, became a good guy and all. And I wanted to thank you for saving us." Raditz remarked, glancing into the bald man's eyes.

"It's okay. I could kick your ass now anyway." the monk said with a laugh. He became sober quickly enough, seeing Yajirobe's sheathed bade propped by Raditz' bedside "Too bad I couldn't save everyone." he murmured.

Raditz cast his gaze down, thinking on Chi Chi "Y-yeah well...We can bring them back in a year with those Dragon Ball things, can't we?" he asked, looking to Kami who nodded in response.

It was at that moment that Bulma came in, huffing and carrying a box clinking with glass bottles of Senzu tonic. "Phew. This is all the batch we currently have you guys." she said, handing a bottle to the conscious Z-fighters, and then funnelling a bottle of the tonic to the sleeping Kakarot and Nam who slowly awoke.

"Hey..." Kakarot said, smiling softly at Bulma. The heiress returned the smile and pecked his brow.

"You are a reckless moron...but a brave one at that." she replied.

Kami coughed into his fist, drawing the attention of the rest of the room "Well, now that we're all awake. I have worrying news." he began.

"You were all unconscious at the time, but I saw it. I saw Vegeta's spaceship pick him up, and his subsequent escape." This earned the shock of everyone but Raditz. Vegeta was always a stubborn bastard. "Oh the attack was potent, to be sure, and it did a fair bit of damage. Sadly not enough to kill him." the Namekian added.

Krillin gave a nervous laugh "W-well so what? He knows we can beat him, he's unlikely to come back." the bald monk said. Kami grimaced.

"Assuming he does...well that's not the thing that worries me." Kami replied "I had left Earth to learn of my origins, and I came upon my home planet Namek. They created the Dragon Balls, and the versions on their world are far more powerful than mine." Kami explained, looking grim. "We should head to Namek as soon as possible, just to make sure it's safe. We can take my ship if need be."

"It sounds rather risky. Still, we will all no doubt be much stronger if we are to encounter Vegeta again." Nam remarked "Still, I wish to stay on Earth and keep watch. And I am unwilling to leave my wife worrying over me."

"Unfortunate, yet understandable." Kakarot said, nodding to Nam.

Raditz punched his palm with one mighty fist "Well I want to go! If they have Dragon Balls than we can get our wishes we can bring back Chi Chi! Oh...and Yajirobe."

"You, aren't going anywhere for a while. You have a shattered kneecap and your brother still has some shattered ribs despite the senzu tonic. You guys will be stuck here in your beds for a few days while the new batch of Senzu tonic is produced." Bulma explained, crossing her arms "Still, I'll come with you guys with the Dragon Radar. If Vegeta finds his way there, we'll be able to gather the Dragon Balls way quicker than him."

Kakarot frowned, but she had a point. "Your father has a spaceship, yes?" the Saiyan asked, earning a nod from Bulma "Well...You and those who are healed up enough can go in Kami's ship, then when me and Raditz are healed enough we will use your father's craft to follow after."

Yamcha scratched his chin "Well...Is it wise for the Guardian to leave the Earth?" he asked.

Kakarot gave a nod in response "It's a matter that will ultimately involve the earth. You can be sure Vegeta will come for revenge and I intend to get the message across that Earth is under my protection."

Kami looked worried "Kakarot, remember to only kill if all other options have been exhausted..." he warned. Kakarot sighed and gave a nod. Sometimes the Saiyan instincts had a sway on him, one larger than he'd admit.

There was an awkward silence, but Tien was the one to break it "Krillin, that technique you used on Vegeta, this Kaioken...It seems very useful. Could you possibly teach it to us? It'll likely come in very handy." the triclops mused. He had a point, Krillin thought to himself, but could he really be a teacher?

"After I get a little rest I'll try and pass on what King Kai taught me." Krillin said, smiling softly. Hell, if a technique could be taught, the knowledge could be passed on by the student, right?

Kami looked to Bulma "I will help you and your father adjust the language settings on my ship so it will respond to English commands. If anything were to happen to me, none of you would be able to use the ship as you lack understanding in Namekian." he explained.

"Not a bad idea Kami. You're a pretty smart fella'." Bulma said, grinning and giving him a thumbs up.

"Hehe...Well, I was wise enough to be regarded as God at one point." the Namekian said, giving a bashful smile.

* * *

Several days passed by. The humans restored their stamina through bed rest, and Krillin proceeded to try and teach is able-bodied allies what he could of the Kaioken. It was difficult, but he was teaching it to accomplished martial artists and they were able to grasp the basics of it in the time they spent waiting on the ship to be prepared. No more than short bursts of Kaioken x2, but it was enough for now. They spent a little more time in the enhanced gravity of the Capsule Corp training chamber to increase their ki as much as possible before their voyage truly began.

Kami's schedule had been a bit more hectic. He spent as much time as he could translating Namekian to English for Bulma and Doctor Briefs, but every free moment he had was spent trying to control the Kaioken and train in x17 gravity. He didn't need to sleep as much and could train longer than a human thanks to his natural healing factor, and as far as nutrition went he only needed water every once in awhile.

Kakarot and Raditz had managed very little besides bedrest, though Raditz had allowed Dr. Brief's to analyse his ship, and Kakarot gave them access to his own ship which had been left on the Lookout ever since it had crash landed there, anything to improve his knowledge on FTL travel. Kakarot had whined about their inability to train, but Raditz insisted their near-death experience would make them all the stronger on it's own.

* * *

On the eve of their voyage to Namek, Bulma had come to Kakarot's hospital room. Her hair was shorter now, stopping above her shoulders and kept from her brow by a pink headband. She smiled sweetly and took a seat by Kakarot's bed, the young Saiyan putting aside the copy of Gulliver's Travels that Popo had brought him (He had brought books for Raditz, but the older Saiyan lacked both the ability and the passion to read classic prose.)

"Good to see you two keeping out of trouble. I haven't forgotten the last time you tried to escape out the window Kakarot." Bulma remarked, smirking at the Guardian who gave a small chuckle in response.

"I can't help it...At least when I was stuck on the Lookout I had a large surface area to explore. Here though it's like...Well i can't do the math to tell the size of the room. Plus I can't sleep right with mister snorey over there." Kakarot said, gesturing to Raditz who responded with an indignant snort.

"Oh yes Kakarot, because you are just SO silent when you sleep..." Raditz replied, rolling his eyes to heaven.

Bulma stopped a snicker at the brothers shenanigans, turning her focus back to Kakarot and trailing a soft finger down the Saiyan's neck "Anyway...The ship will be departing for Namek tomorrow morning, so I wanted to say my goodbyes. Well, goodbyes for now, I know you and your brother will be following quickly after us."

Kakarot gave her a bright smile "Of course my dear. I'll try and get in contact with my telepathy whenever I can." the spiky-haired youth added "When will the next batch of Senzu Tonic be ready?" he asked, tilting his head.

Bulma hummed, pursing her lips in thought "Well...growing the cloned Senzu paste takes some time, then refining it into the tonic, and dad is making a fairly large batch this time...Two weeks, tops. I promise." the turquoise-haired heiress assured him, leaning down and pecking Kakarot on the brow. "Just relax, dad will bring it in when it's ready, enough to bring you to back to your best."

"Good. Then it's straight back to training little brother. If I'm going to snap Vegeta's scrawny neck with my bare hands, I'll need to get alot stronger." the long-haired Saiyan remarked, giving a toothy grin.

Bulma rolled her eyes "You're a charmer Raditz...Anyway, Kakarot I um..." she trailed off, and the Saiyan Guardian tilted his head to one side in a curious manner. There was something on Bulma's mind, had been since they slept together, but maybe it was just paranoia on her part. They had taken precautions after all... "Ah. It's nothing. Just get some bed rest." she added, leaning down and kissing his lips tenderly and departing.

Kakarot watched her go, only turning his gaze from the door when Raditz spoke up "Awfully soft mate for a Saiyan, little brother." he said.

Kakarot scoffed "Oh right, I know exactly the kind of mate you want Raditz."

His brother gave a cocky laugh and shut his eyes softly "It's true. There's just something about a strong, angry woman that just excites me." he replied.

* * *

Kami's ship rested on the white sands of the Kame House beach, waves lightly lapping at it's long legs. The group had all gathered here, either to get on the craft or to say goodbye to those who were climbing aboard.

Launch, currently in her blonde state, stood on her toes to plant small kisses along Tien's jawline, murmuring sweet nothings in his ear "It's gonna be hard with you being gone for a whole month." she gave a stealthy glare in Bulma's direction while she wasn't looking "And watch out for her, she'll probably sink her claws in you while her man ain't around."

Tien gave a tut "Relax, I highly doubt she will. And besides, I have a great deal of self-control as you're no doubt aware." Launch rolled her eyes.

"Alright guys, come on." Bulma said, adjusting her space suit.

"Er, Bulma, you don't require a space suit aboard this craft." Kami said as he climbed onto the circular boarding pad.

"Maybe you guys don't, but we're not all planet-destroying Supermen. Now everyone, come on!" Bulma snapped, the others quickly getting aboard. Once Krillin, Kami, Tien and Yamcha were aboard, Bulma moved to the Captains chair "Now then..." she tapped some controls rapidly. The Namekian craft began to rumble and shot up into the sky, the group of warriors with the exception of Kami yelling in shock at the motion, while Bulma gave a laugh.

_**"GERONIMOOOOOOO!"**_

* * *

_Planet Parniss, two weeks after the trip to Namek began._

Parniss, at one point, had been an idyllic garden planet. Their lush fields of plantlife had been the subject of songs, and the Planet Trade even left that world relatively intact when they seized control of it, as Frieza sensed the economic value of such an agricultural gem.

In the span of a day, it had been reduced to a barren dry rock. It's grass had withered to dust which faded in the wind. It's vegetables and fruits had rotted into vile black pulp which too turned to nothing. The only plant that remained on Parniss now was a monstrous tree, the very cause of the death and decay.

The native warriors of Parniss, and the garrison of soldiers that Frieza had posted on the former garden planet, had arisen to fight the threat. The fought well, but sadly not enough to stop the invaders who planted this demonic life-sucking tree on Parniss.

"Well, that was pretty damn entertaining." One invader, an orange shaved gorilla of a man, remarked. He wiped some sweat off his brow with the back of his hand, and then sat on a mound of corpses he had formed from the bodies of Frieza soldiers. "How long's it gonna' take for the fruit to form?" he asked.

Another member of the group, a bulky silver cyborg with jagged unsightly armour covering every inch of his body, could only shrug in response. The fruit formation time differed from planet to planet.

Another member of the brigands, a dark-haired young man who may have even been regarded as handsome were it not for his sociopathy, gave a grin and remarked "Ah. Hardly matters, does it Amond? We killed all the losers on this planet, couldn't take too long to grow. Only thing we have to worry about is Frieza or his Ginyu's."

The bulky orange man, named Amond, scratched the X-shaped scar on his jaw "Hm. Fair point. Well all we gotta' do now is sit back and-" his scouter beeped suddenly, registering new power levels closing in on the planet "Ah, fuck. Must be some scouts from the Planet Trade."

A duo of ugly, purple-skinned dwarves grinned wickedly "Excellent! Some punching bags that we can pass the time with." one chimed in. The second one gave a cackle "We'll show 'em...Nobody messes with the Turles Crusher Corps!"

* * *

A/N: Next chapter, The Tree of Might! I really hate doing these shitty filler chapters, and I don't mind admitting that my heart wasn't quite in this chapter. Still it got it's job done.

Also I just wanted to say thank you, as the story now has 100+ reviews. I'm certainly shocked with how much this fic has grown in popularity compared to Fall of Lord Frieza, but I do really appreciate the attention people have given it.

**Power Levels:**

-Krillin: 9700

-Kami: 8550

-Tien: 3890

-Yamcha: 3575

- Amond: 8800

-Daiz: 7280

- Cacao: 6950

- Rasin and Lakasei: 3500, each.

Do keep in mind that the Crusher Corps are a tad weaker than their movie counterparts, as tey haven't gotten a Tree of Might boost from Parniss yet.


	10. The Tree Of Might

The group had decided to investigate this odd looking planet, this dead brown rock with a gigantic tree jutting out of one hemisphere. Kami was curious. When he made his trip to and from Namek he recognised this area quite well, a most beautiful planet covered in flowers and fields of vegetables. What had happened?

When the ship touched down, Kami told Bulma to head back up and leave the ship in orbit around the odd planet. She complied, surprisingly...It was odd, she seemed almost paranoid as of late, very protective of her body.

"Are you sure we can afford to waste time here Kami?" Yamcha asked as the group flew along the dusty rock. No cities, no plants. Nothing at all, stretching onto the infinite horizon.

"Assuming this isn't all Vegeta's handiwork, he will still need time to recover his strength. After all, he'd have to have been very injured to not come back and finish us off when he had the chance." Kami said.

That was when they reached it, the massive tree so large that it could be seen from outer space, it's roots like giant gnarled pythons cutting deep trenches into the once fertile soil. And there, resting on one of the large roots, were a group of off looking aliens, grinning as the Z-warriors approached. "Meh. Some of 'em are above average, but no threat." the hulking orange man remarked, tapping his scouter.

"They don't look like Planet Trade to me." one of the deformed purple dwarves chimed in.

"Are you the ones who've caused all this destruction?" Tien asked, two of his three eyes narrowing in disgust at their sneering faces.

"But of course." Daiz replied, running a hand through his dark hair. "But let me guess, you're all here to try and stop us?"

Krillin punched his palm with his powerful fist "Well at first we were here to investiate the destruction and this weird tree...But whatever you're doing, we're going to put a stop to it!"

Amanda stood up fully, grinning wickedly "Come and stop us then. We needed a way to kill the time anyway."

The two dwarves shot off the large branch and flung themselves at Yamcha, the scar face bandit flying backward and moving his arms to block and deflect the blows from their stumpy arms. One sweep of his leg and the two were sent hurtling upward, rubbing their bruised purple faces in pain.

The machine, Cacao, lunged at Tien next. The triclops could sense the cyborg's ki, and now able to tell he was outmatched at his base power level he powered up his Kaioken aura. The metal fist collided with Tien's guarding forearm, causing the Crane student to stumble back with a grunt of pain. he moved swiftly and kicked Cacao's legs out from under him, before grabbing the cyborg and flinging him skyward.

Cacao righted himself quickly, several missile pods bursting out of hidden compartments on his body. Nanotechnology? Seemed likely. A wave of missiles came pouring out from the orifices, and Tien had to start moving as swiftly as possible to avoid the tidal wave of missiles pursuing him, intent on mowing him down.

Daiz flew at Kami, and the two warriors started to exchange powerful blows, some scoring direct hits to their foe or some of their blows being deflected. Finally, Daiz managed to knee Kami in the gut, sending him hurtling upward. He was beside Kami in a flash, and his boot struck the Namekian in the jaw.

Kami was sent soaring down to the ruined earth, but suddenly his head snapped up and his jaws opened wide. A powerful gold beam of ki shot forth, striking the shocked Daiz in the chest. The beam carried Daiz away to the trunk of the mighty tree, and a powerful explosion enveloped him. He fell and landed on a branch with a thud, giving a grunt but managing to force himself onto one knee.

Amond's strong punch was swiftly dodged by Krillin, and the bald monk responded to the assault by burying his elbow into the giant's ribs, making him double over slightly. He gave a snarl and firmly gripped Krillin's bald head, smashing him in the face with his knee repeatedly, before flinging Krillin into the air.

The former turtle student gave a grunt and flipped through the air, entering into a kamehameha wave stance. He launched the blue beam at Amond after only a few seconds of charging, and while it hit the damage done only seemed to be done to the orange brute's armour.

A strong combined punch from Rasin and Lakasei sent Yamcha hurtling to earth, and the duo took a moment to cackle and gloat while Yamcha got back to his feet "Ngh...Let's see you laugh after this." he growled, raising one hand up. A crackling ball of red and gold energy formed just above his fingertips "Take this! **Spirit Ball!" **the former bandit yelled out, flinging the orb at the siblings. The duo grinned and both swerved to dodge the bolt.

"Hehe. That it, you dolt?" Rasin mocked. Yamcha smirked and made a finger gesture, and suddenly the Spirit Ball did a U-turn and struck the dwarf in the back of the head. Yamcha started flicking his finger, the ball following all his motions and smacking both his opponents around. He caught both the dwarves in one hit, the Spirit Ball carrying them to the earth whereupon it exploded in a flourish of light.

The two battle damaged imps came from the dust shrieking and flailing punches and kicks at Yamcha. Some of their blows struck and left some bruises on the bandit's body, but the duo seemed to lack the same punch they once carried due to their injuries. Yamcha gave a yell, decapitating Rasin with the flat of his hand. He started pummelling Lakasei in the face, knocking him backward **"WOLF, FANG, FIST!" **he howled, delivering a two handed strike that snapped the last dwarf's neck.

A series of explosions knocked Tien into the air, burns marking the triclops' body. He righted himself and glared at Cacao...Seemed he was out of missiles. Tien slammed his palms together and gave a growl, forming his fingers into a diamond-shape. His Kaioken aura flared up once more.

**"TRI-BEAM! HAH!"** the Kaioken-enhanced blast struck Cacao, blasting off large chunks of the shrieking cyborg's armour being torn off and parts of his chestplate melting slightly.

The two warriors righted themselves and flew back against each other, their fists colliding repeatedly and sending shockwaves across the lifeless horizon. Cacao headbutted the triclops and sent him soaring downward. He hopped back to avoid an eye beam from his foe and them shot straight back at Cacao with his Kaioken aura blazing back to life. He swung a punch at Cacao, but Tien's fist broke clean through his metal forearm, travelling further until it struck Cacao's fleshy pink face and splattered gore across the ground.

Tien gave off a sigh of exertion as his aura faded "Damnit...Just need a little...More practice with the Kaioken..." he said, rubbing his sore arm.

Another blow to the face and Kami was sent skidding across the dust, tumbling about before landing in a skid. He caught a punch from Daiz and then struck him repeatedly in the abdomen, shattering off more and more of the young conqueror's armour.

Daiz wrenched his hand free and fired off a ki blast which Kami narrowly dodged. The Namekian adjusted his hand, sharp nails jutting forth, he shot an arm out, stabbing them straight into Daiz' exposed gut. The young man gagged and wretched, clutching the gaping hole in his torso. he slumped to his knees, still retching blood.

Kami frowned and shut his eyes, placing his hands ont he sides of Daiz' head and rapidly snapping his neck to spare the poor boy a slow agonising death.

Amond caught Krillin's fist in his monstrously large hand, starting to thrash the bald monk through the dirt. He then flung Krillin into the distance and gave a roat, flinging a spear of lightning at the monk. Krillin managed to block just in time, but the explosion still sent him flying back another few feet.

Amond gave a grunt and rubbed his busted scouter, previously destroyed by a chop from Krillin, and was now unaware of Yamcha floating above him. "Kame...Hame..." he trailed off, a blue ki sphere swelling in his palms. Amond gave a shocked gasp and looked skyward.

"Oh no you don't you little bastard!" Amond growled, forming a white ball of energy in his hand. Suddenly Kami was beside him, a crackling gold sphere in both his hands. _'D-Damnit, who the hell am I supposed to hit?!'_ Amond yelled in his head.

A Kamehameha struck him in the back, and the hulking orange madman gave a howl of pain. He'd forgotten Krillin! Kami struck him in the side, and Yamcha's Kamehameha ave swooped downward. The maelstrom of ki surged around Amond's whole body, and he gave a death howl as the ki surrounding him caused a massive explosion and a following black mushroom cloud.

There was a moment of silence, and the group of warriors gathered together again "Well, that was an interesting distraction...I just wish I knew why those brigands had killed this once beautiful planet?" Kami asked.

"I believe I can explain that." a mysterious, harsh voice said, emerging from the shadows. Everyone gaped at the figure that now floated down to meet them.

He was...Well, the spitting image of Kakarot, except for his darker skin tone and the Saiyan armour he was wearing. "This, is the Tree of Might. Once planted it sucks out the energy of a planet and can syphon that into it's fruit. Whoever eats that, becomes incredibly powerful."the stranger paused, seeing the looks of shock on the groups face, and then he grinned "What's wrong? You all look like you've seen a ghost."

"He looks just like...Hmph, so this is what Kakarot would have become if I didn't raise him..." Kami muttered. "A cruel pirate who killed off entire planets for his own power."

"I am Turles. And those men you killed were my Crusher Corps." he said, walking closer to the group. His ki dwarfed that of his now dead allies, but he didn't really seem much stronger than Vegeta had been on Earth.

"I'm both annoyed and...slightly pleased that you killed them. At first I stayed back because I felt they could handle you. Now that they're dead, I'm coming out of the shadows to make an offer to you. If you bow down before me and apologise, I might just forgive you and let you join me." Turles said, crossing his strong arms over his armour-covered chest.

Krillin gave a grunt "Like hell! We're not serving a monstrous bastard like you!" Turles frowned, before grinning again. He dashed forth, faster than Krillin could react to, and his knuckle struck the human's jaw, sending him soaring across the dirt and crashing into a large boulder.

Kami flung a flurry of rapid punches at Turles, but the malevolent Saiyan soon caught Kami's fists with a vile smirk on his face. Kami's eyes flashed white and two hot energy beams shot out. Turles gave a grunt and moved his head just in time, though the beams still cut through Turles' shoulderpads and cut into the upper portion of his shoulder.

The Saiyan despot gave a snarl and rammed his knee into Kami's ribs, winding the former Guardian and allowing Turles to fling him across the horizon as if he were weightless.

Turles paused for a moment, seeing Yamcha and Tien on either side of him. Weak compared to the other two he supposed. Almost in unison, the two warriors yelled out **"KAIOKEN TIMES TWO!"** their red aura's splitting the earth beneath their feet.

The group flew skyward, Turles using one arm on each of his foes to block their strikes. Yamcha gave a blow to Turles' shoulder, making him grunt and stagger slightly, which gave Tien the opportunity to punch Turles as hard as he could in the gut, shattering away large chunks of his armour and leaving a purple bruise on the dark skin.

Turles gave a snarl,a mixture of rage and pain, and slammed both his fists onto the human foes, sending them hurtling and crashing to the ruined earth. Turles raised his arms high above his head and suddenly a ring of gold light formed between his hands. He flung the bolt straight down, and just as Tien and Yamcha made a move to flee, they were caught from behind by the explosion's shockwave, sending them hurtling away from each other.

It was at that moment that Krillin reappeared, wreathed in the same red aura as his two allies. He managed to strike the manic Saiyan a few times in rapid succession, splattering blood on his knuckles whenever he hit Turles in the face. But Turles quickly regained control, catching one of Krillin's fist and punching him in the gut, before fling the winded Krillin into the great bark of the world-killing tree.

His head whipped around, and he rapidly deflected a blast from Kami. "That all you've got, Namek?!" the conqueror spat.

Kami smirked in response "No. That is though." Turles turned and was promptly struck by a powerful golden beam being fired by...A second Kami?!

"GOD'S LIGHT!" the Kami duplicate snarled, his aura seeming to tripple in size, it's red hue drowned out by the golden sheen of the energy blast. The beam carried Turles down and down, until he crashed into the earth with a thunderous explosion, leaving a deep black crater in the earth.

The two Kami's floated to one another and merged back into one entity, panting heavily from the strain "And he's not done yet..." he grunted weakly.

Indeed, Turles did fly from the smoke with an enraged snarl on his face. The entire upper portion of his armour and his scouter had been blown off entirely, and his body was covered in bruises and smoking burns. He'd lost a fair bit of his power, but far from enough to put him down for the count.

Kami threw a weak punch which was swiftly dodged, and Turles responded by smashing his fist into Kami's ribs and then roundhouse kicking Kami toward the tree. He struck the branch and began falling, hitting every branch on the way down before landing into a bloodied, battered heap on the dusty ruined ground.

Krillin burst from the shade and smashed both his feet into Turles' face, making the Saiyan snarl in pain. He managed to deliver a series of rapid yet powerful punches and kicks to Turles' torsp and face, but in the end Krillin was beaten back down by a strong elbow to the face and a point-blank energy blast to the chest.

Wordlessly he landed, breathing heavily "That all?" he asked aloud, wiping the blood from his face. He looked up and grinned wickedly, seeing the golden spiky fruit begin to sprout from the branches high above. Despite the sheer size of the tree, it only ever produced a few fruits at a time.

"Finally. All those too myself, should make me strong enough to kill Frieza-**AAAAAAHHHHGH!**" The Saiyan's cocky words turned into a blood-curdling shriek of agony. He felt as if he were being flayed alive, as if a railroad spike was being jammed up his nostrils, as if all his nails had been torn out at once...He looked down in horror at the golden beam piercing through his heart, slowly fading away.

He started to turn as he fell to the ground, seeing Tien's outstretched insex finger, his whole body covered in sweat and various injuries. he fell with a flat thud, looking up at the fruit...The fruit he was so close to attaining, but so very far from ever holding.

Tien looked up to the fruit and gave a grunt, flying up as quick as he could and plucking one of the fruit of the branches. He munched on it and gave a muffled gasp as he swallowed it. Ir was sweet and sour, bitter and sugary,unlike anything Tien had ever tasted. It healed his wounds and caused his muscles to bulge out for a moment as his power skyrocketed "God...I feel thrice as strong as before..." he said, quickly zipping around and plucking fruits for his downed allies.

He gave Krillin the smallest of what he'd plucked and then handed Yamcha and Kami fruits similar in size to what he had eaten. They hopped up, amazed at their newfound might and stamina "Not bad...I just wish you hadn't given me the runt of the fruits." Krillin remarked.

"Seemed appropriate, all things considered." Tien teased, placing a hand on Krillin's chrome dome.

Kami furrowed his brow "I'm not fond of doing this, but we need the strength. There are horrors out there worse than Vegeta, of that I am certain." he said, using his magic materialisation to form a simple wooden box with a lid. He retrieved two more fruit from the tree and set them in the box "And I'm certain Kakarot and Raditz will want some of the fruit too." he added, closing the box up.

"Well. Let's message Bulma, and we'll be back on our way." Tien said simply, turning to leave the scarred, dusty ground.

* * *

_30 days after Vegeta's defeat on Earth._

The football-shaped Capsule Corp ship rumbled and rocked as it broke the atmospheric layer and began rocketing through the solar system. Damn fine craft, even Raditz admired the humans technical abilities.

They had beds, a fridge stocked up with enough food to feed an army and enough Senzu Tonic to heal said army...but what both Saiyans loved most was the gravity chamber aboard the craft.

Raditz propped Yajirobe's sword up against a wall of the chamber and walked to the control panel "Now then little brother, what will we start training at?" he asked.

Kakarot paused in thought and then gave a grin "20. If you think you can handle it, I mean." Kakatot said, continuing to grin. Raditz smirked in response and did as his sibling bid, setting the gravity to 20 times beyond Earth's own. The weight was immense, and both nearly doubled over. They glared at each other and then dove forth, starting to strike at each other as fast as they could.

* * *

A/N: Next chapter, the first group arrive on Namek. What kind of threats await them? As if you didn't already know.

**Power Levels:**

- Turles: 17'500

-Krillin (Tree of Might): 19'400

-Kami (Tree of Might): 21'375

-Tien (Tree of Might): 11'670

-Yamcha (Tree of Might): 10'725

-Kakarot (Post-Zenkai): 13'350

-Raditz (Post-Zenkai): 14'525


	11. Invaders

"Well, there's two who won't be causing us anymore trouble." Yamcha said, tossing the two dead Planet Trade soldiers who had come to investigate their landing into the green sea's of Namek. They had fired a blast at Kami's ship, but the Scar-faced Bandit had moved fast enough the swat the blasts away before they could do any damage.

"I'm not proud of it, but that ship is our best way home. Can't afford to let it get damaged." Kami said, using his telekinesis to widen the cave path they had landed beside, before using his telekinesis to push the white ship inside the cave.

Suddenly the Namekian gave a gasp and turned to his allies "Quickly, into the cave! Suppress your power levels!" he hissed, the group scurrying in after him. The powers that moved past, some were...enormous...Dozens and dozens of soldiers, and the short creature in the bubble chair that was leading the charge...God he was stronger than 100 Vegeta's all rolled into one.

They'd sensed Vegeta shortly after arrival of course, now stronger than he had been on Earth, but now he seemed so insignificant by comparison.

Once the group of alien invaders passed them by, Kami breathed a sigh of relief and then tilted his gaze toward Bulma "Ms. Briefs, please check the Dragon Radar."

The turquoise-haired heiress gave a small nod, though she seemed to be trembling in fear with so many alien warriors flying about "Um...You guys aren't going to like this but...Well, those guys have four Dragon Balls with them."

Yamcha gave a nervous, sad laugh at that "Oh...Of course. The super powerful guy would have a head start on us, wouldn't he?" he said with another laugh.

Tien shook his head "Well, you hardly though this would be easy, did you? We're always outmatched, but we always pull through in the end." the triclops remarked. He could sense what they were up against, but shockingly enough he didn't seem afraid or nervous.

Bulma kept tinkering with the radar and then looked to her allies "Hey, wait you guys, they're heading for another ball...It seems it's a few kilometres from here." she explained.

Kami punched his palm "Over that way...That was one of the villages I stayed in when I came here." the large Namekian said, clenching his teeth. "I'm going to investigate, there has to be something we can do here." he said, walking from the cave.

"I'll come with." Tien replied, following after the Namekian "I want to get a better grasp on the power levels we're facing here."

"I guess I'll keep watch of the camp." Krillin said, taking a seat on one large rock in the cave.

Yamcha gave a nod as well, propping himself up against the cave walls "I'll stick around too. Can't leave Krillin with all the work." he teased. Krillin scowled in response to that, but stayed silent.

"Thanks for hanging back to guard the ship guys. I'm not exactly a martial artist or anything." Bulma said with a laugh.

Tien and Kami exchanged glances, and Kami spoke up "Try to suppress your ki as much as possible. Even with the Kaioken we stand no chance against that horned monster." Tien gave a nod in response, and the two started to cross the Namekian grasslands through swift and powerful leaps, not wanting to alert others to their presence through flying.

* * *

Kami and Tien travelled silently as they bounded toward the village the Dragon Balls had converged in, and the duo stopped on a large overhang beside the village. Kami nodded to Tien, and both went prone to crawl closer and investigate the scene, Kami silently praying the wouln't hurt anyone so long as they cooperated.

The demonic-looking creature was flanked on both sides by two guards, each clutching a pair of Dragon Balls under their arms, who seemed equally powerful and imposing. An effeminate lavender-skinned, green-haired man in armour similar to Vegeta's with the addition of a silly cape. And a bulky, spiky, red-skinned man whose forearms were like watermelons with nails embedded in them.

"So these are the Namekians..." Tien remarked, scanning over them. Kami made no response, trying hard to keep his ki down.

He saw the Namekians being rounded up, adults, children and elderly alike. All male, as Namekians were asexuals who reproduced through eggs. Tien seemed a little surprised by the all male species, but he managed to connect the dots between the Namekians and King Piccolo's mutant offspring.

Kami could hear their voices quite clearly despite the distance, hearing the strange little man in the bubble chair start to speak "Hello there, I'm Lord Frieza, ruler of the Galaxy, and I'm searching for your Dragon Balls. Give me the information I want and nobody has to get hurt." The elderly Namekians remained silent as the grave. Despite the calm face and smile on his face, Frieza's voice grew noticeably colder at his captives unwillingness to talk "Give me the ball...And you can live."

The elderly Namekian, who Kami quickly recognised as Moori, stepped forth and spoke in ancient Namekian. Seemed that he was trying to feign ignorance, trying to fool Frieza into believing he couldn't understand the question...But Frieza's smirk showed that Moori wasn't the first to try this ruse "Your native language eh? I'd rather you speak to me in your my language. I know you can." he said, slowly lifting an index finger. At this, Moori clutched his two children closer.

"Where is the ball? Is it here?" Frieza asked, lowering his finger.

"N-no, it's not here." Moori answered swiftly.

The response seemed to amuse Frieza, a smile tugging at his lips "Dodoria, do you recall what happened at the first village we went to?" he asked, glancing to the bulky red man beside him.

The red-skinned alien, evidently named Dodoria, gave an ugly smile and replied "Yeah, they said they didn't know where the balls were either."

"The elder wouldn't cooperate, so I killed all his friends." Frieza chimed in. The Namekians were shocked silent, and Kami clenched his fists so hard that his nails drew blood from his palms. "That loosened his tongue sure enough, told me how every village elder guarded over the Dragon Balls. I've had similar problems in the past four villages, with similar results. So make this easy on yourself and hand it over."

Moori was in deep shock "That's...That's impossible..." he grunted in disbelief.

"Well then, I'm more than happy to demonstrate. Zarbon!" Frieza called out. At his command, the lavender-skinned alien dashed forth so fast that his movements were hard to detect, even to the warriors of earth. His leg struck one elderly Namekian in the cheek with such force that his neck snapped in a most awful manner and he landed stone dead on the grass.

One elderly Namekian, who looked akin to Kami before he merged with Piccolo, gave an enraged snarl and rushed at Zarbon "You'll pay for that!"

Zarbon flung one Dragon Ball skyward nonchalantly and leapt up to avoid the Namekian's blast, which instead struck and fried one of the weaker Planet Trade goons. With a flourish of his cape, Zarbon launched his own small ki blast which burnt the dark green Namekian into a crispy black. In the span of a second, the dead Namek hit the floor, Zarbon landed, and then effortlessly caught the orange sphere he'd tossed skyward.

Kami was shaking with rage, seeing his kinsmen being killed so casually...Men he'd known in the time he'd spent on Namek. He could hear Piccolo's voice, buried deep in the back of his mind, goading him, whispering to him to attack with everything at once. Surely the dwarf in the chair couldn't withstand a surprise attack of such magnitude...Nonsense...

"Now do you understand? Give me the ball and I shan't need to harm any more of you." Frieza remarked. 'For the moment' was the term missing from that sentence.

Moori was silent for a moment "What do you want the balls for?"

"Why, to wish for immortality of course."

Moori narrowed his eyes "Then you'll get nothing from me. I'd rather die!"

Frieza gave a small 'tsk' but his smirk remained firmly plastered to his face "Poor choice of words. Still, I do believe youll change your mind. Unless you want us to kill the children?"

A mask of fear etched onto Moori's face "NO! LEAVE THE CHILDREN ALONE!"

It was at that moment that Dodoria's scouter beeped to life, and he quickly turned his head "Some high power levels incoming." the plump alien remarked.

On the horizon a trio of younger Namekians, young adults by Tien's mental estimation, flew into view and landed on the blue grass surrounding the village. "The warrior caste." Kami murmured over to Tien.

Frieza lazily glanced over at the trio "So nice of you to take some time out of your busy day, just so you could come by and let me kill you." he remarked.

"I didn't want to think the rumors were true, but a group of bandits have come to steal our Dragon Balls...You'll pay for spoiling the tranquility of Namek!" one of the trio snarled, surveying the death marking the village.

"Dodoria, check their power levels." Frieza said, unmoved by the warrior's outrage.

As Dodoria listed off their power levels, stating they were all in the region of 1000, a plan began to form into Moori's mind. _'So that's how they're finding the villages, using those devices on the sides of their heads.'_

Much to the shock of the lower class warriors in Frieza's posse, who had expected a curb stomp battle from the readings Dodoria gave them, the first trooper to lunge the warriors was casually kicked away by one of the larger warriors and crashed face-first into a mesa.

"Suppressing their ki, a very good tactic against those scouters." Tien mused. Even then, they still couldn't hope to beat the two elite mooks or the big bad sitting between them.

One of Frieza's soldiers, a creature with a vile crocodilian snout dove straight at the tallest of the Namekians, who parried the soldiers punch and then delivered a flurry of punches to the beasts face. He struct with such force that he smashed his snout, broke off the`invaders helmet, and then delivered a horizontal chop so hard that it snapped the croc's neck in a grotesque fashion.

One humanoid soldier fired a ki blast from a wrist-mounted blaster, aiming for an airborne warrior who casually deflected the energy blast and fired back one of his own. The explosion struck the ground before the trooper and sent him soaring toward Zarbon, who nonchalantly kicked the alien away into the green waters.

"What's going on with their ki? You said they only had a power level of 1000." the green-haired elite remarked, glaring at Dodoria.

"I...I don't get it, the scouter says they just jumped from 1000 to 3000." the plump alien replied, tapping his scouter repeatedly.

"They can control their power levels, don't you see? Surprisingly clever." Frieza remarked, his trio of henchmen looking to the Namekians as they finished off the low-class warriors. It was at that moment that Moori took his chance, he leapt high into the air and fired off a rapid flurry of fingerbeams, blasting the remaining scouters on both the living and the dead into bits.

"YOU...OLD BASTARD!" Dodoria howled, flying straight up at Moori and ignoring the burns on his flabby face.

"Dodoria, wait!" Frieza ordered, his voice causing Dodoria to halt mid-flight. "Kill the warriors first!" Frieza commanded. At his word, Dodoria tumbled downward and landed straight before the trio of Namekians, grinning wickedly at them,

"Hehe...It'll only take a few second to kill you." Dodoria growled.

"Give me a break!" one warrior yelled "You can't beat all of us!"

"I can't beat you weaklings?" Dodoria asked, vanishing from sight from his surprising speed. he reappeared behind the Namekian warrior who had goaded him, and promptly speared his fist through the warrior's torso "What a joke!" Dodoria's head whipped around swiftly, and a gold beam of ki shot from his maw, smashing into another Namekian and killing him in a powerful explosion.

Kami's rage was building, he had to do...something. He couldn't let his kinsmen be murdered like animals!

Dodoria started pursuing the last Namekian, who was narrowly dodging his foe's meaty fist, leaping back and back, further away from the village. In a desperate move, the last warrior raised his hands up, and then fired as much ki as he could muster at the advancing Dodoria. The blast struck him head on, and created a decent-sized crater from the power behind it. Didn't even lay a scratch on Dodoria's armour.

Dodoria cackled and lunged forth, the spikes on his head burying into the last warrior's chest as he was carried along, smashing into a bed of rock, cracking his green skull open like an egg. Dead, like the rest of his allies.

Moori stared in horror, the most powerful of his village being killed like they were nothing at all. "Now do you see what you're up against? I wouldn't advise resisting any further." Frieza warned, causing the elderly Namekian to reluctantly land. "So you're finally listening? Very good. I should be mad at you for breaking our scouters, but I'll forgive you if you hand over your Dragon Ball."

"Very well...But you have to promise not to harm the children..." Moori said, slowly turning to one building. He returned from the white building moments later, and handed the orange sphere to one of Frieza's surviving goons.

"Oh, and while you're at it..." the icy tyrant began "Be a dear and tell us where the other villages are."

"Wh-what?! I'll never sell out my fellow Namekians! Now keep your word and leave this village in peace!" Moori yelled back, veind throbbing on his wrinkled brow.

"Good god, you too? You Namekians never want to talk...I suppose you'll just have to die with your children." Frieza said, a smirk etching onto his face. Quick as a flash, Dodoria zipped at Moori and smashed his grotesque fist into Moori's face, causing him to skid along the ground.

"You...You promised..." he grunted out.

"I need all seven Dragon Balls. I needed my scouters to find them, the scouters which _you_ destroyed. Therefore I think it's fair that _you_ pay reparations and tell us where to find the other Dragon Balls." Frieza explained.

"I won't tell you anything!" Moori yelled, getting to his feet. "Quick children, run! Get as far away as you can!" he added, glaring back at Frieza "I'll show you the pride of the Namekians!" Frieza casually raised on finger up and fired a beam of purple energy from one finger, which arced over Moori and struck one of the fleeing children, immolating him instantly.

"C-Cargo!" the remaining child gasped out.

"That...Monster..." Kami hissed, his power slowly beginning to rise.

"Kami, calm down! I know it's horrible to watch, but we can't do anything to that guy. He's just too powerful!" Tien pleaded.

Dodoria caught Moori by the neck while he was distracted, and with a grotesque _*Snap*_ of his neck, Moori fell to the blue grass dead as a doornail.

Now, there was only one Namekian left in this village. The cowering, terrified child. He went to flee, but Dodoria leapt from Moori's corpse and landed straight before the child "Come on now, I hardly have time to waste on a runt like you." he spat, raising one arm up high.

That was when Kami struck.

He buried his fist into Dodoria's flabby face, sending a spurt of blood across his knuckles as Dodoria was flung back and crashed through a large house. Still moving quickly, Kami grabbed the Namek child and held him underarm as he took off into the air "Tien, come on!" he yelled, the triclops wasting no time following after Kami.

"A Namek and a...3-eyed man." Frieza remarked, simply watching them leave. They were entertaining, if nothing else.

"Agh...He boke my dose..." Dodoria growled, sitting up and rubbing the bleeding, gushing ruin that had been his nose before Kami smashed it to bits.

"Dodoria, get after them you fat bastard! I want to know who the hell they are!" Frieza yelled. Dodoria hastily complied, scrambling to his feet and zooming straight after the fleeing trio.

* * *

As they fled, Tien allowed himself to check for pursuers "I think it's just the fat one coming after us. I think we should have the means to beat him." Tien remarked, quickly turning his gaze back to the horizon.

"You are Dende, right?" Kami asked. The child gave a nod, slowly recognising the tall Namekian who had saved him "Good. Go with my friend Tien, he'll take you somewhere safe."

"Th-thank you sir. But I can fly on my own." Dende replied, floating from Kami's grasp. He went to Tien's side, and the duo quickly flew off. Kami stayed back, and looked to Dodoria's rapidly approaching bulk.

"I'll make you pay..." Kami spat, clenching his fist.

"DERE YOU AH, YOU BASTAHD! I'LL TEACH YOU NOT TO BAKE MY DOSE!" Dodoria howled, charging toward Kami. Suddenly he was struck in the side by a boot and sent hurtling downward, tumbling until he corrected himself in the air. Kami and Dodoria both stared at the newcomer, and were shocked by the sight.

There, hovering in the sky, was Vegeta.

* * *

A/N: Next chapter, the brawl between Kami, Dodoria and Vegeta! Dende helps the group meet up with the Guru of Namek!

**Power Levels:**

Namekian Warriors: 3000 each.

Zarbon: 23,000

Frieza (1st Form): 530,000

Dodoria: 22,000

Vegeta: 24,000


	12. Schizophrenia

The Mexican standoff between Dodoria, Vegeta and Kami had grown into an ungodly silence. Their eyes shifted randomly from foe to foe, just waiting for the others to make a move. As predicted by both Vegeta and Kami, it was Dodoria who made the first strike, yelling and launching a red ki beam at Vegeta.

The prince gave a laugh and lazily deflected the shot with his palm, while Kami charged forth and buried his knee into Dodoria's flabby gut. his armour cracked and shattered along his stomach, and a strangled grunt escaped Dodoria's lips from the pain of the strike. Then a strong elbow sent Dodoria crashing into an island below them.

_'Remember what he did to your kin, remember how he revelled in the slaughter...'_ a voice whispered in the back of Kami's mind.

Suddenly, Vegeta was upon Kami, and his gloved fist met with the Namekian's green jaw and sent him reeling. Kami responded in kind, ploughing his fist into Vegeta's cheek with such force that it sent a spray of spit and blood into the air. Vegeta responded in kind, landing another blow to Kami's face and leaving a purple bruise where he struck, but Kami responded with another strong hook which sent Vegeta sailing a few metres away through the air.

Vegeta was in shock, this was ludicrous! How was this Namekian, who was a mere fraction of Vegeta's power on Earth, now able to match him blow for blow?!

The prince's thoughts were disrupted by a surprise blast to the side from Dodoria, which sent the Saiyan crashing into a small island. The flabby alien charged at Kami and managed to deliver a powerful swipe to Kami's body, the large spikes on his arms slicing a few centimetres into Kami's green skin, sending purple blood seeping out of his arm. Kami seemed to only faintly notice.

_'This fat bastard kills old men and children with a smile on his face. Surely that just gets your holy blood boiling, doesn't it?'_

Kami gave an enraged snarl like a dog on the hunt, swinging one long leg around and burying his heel straight into Dodoria's shoulder. Dodoria's pained howl and the sound of his shoulder being dislocated seemed to blend into one lovely, violent kicked Dodoria into a mesa just in time to block an incoming punch from Vegeta.

Still, the prince moved with a surprising swiftness and managed to land a hail of rapid punches against the Namekian's abdomen, followed by a double-fist swing which caused Kami to crash into a large rock spire on one of the many islands, the spire shattering from the impact.

Kami briefly inspected the few tears the top of his white gi had taken from the impact, and then he proceeded to glare at the sneering Vegeta. _'And this midget bastard...Think hard on what he'll do to Earth if you fail here.'_

Kami's eyes widened and he gave a roar, powering up and dashing straight back up into the fight.

* * *

Tien and Dende had landed outside the cave Kami had left his ship, and by that point Tien was fully aware of Vegeta duking it out with Kami and the fat alien who attacked the village. With luck, Kami could overcome them, but for the time being Tien would stay out of the way.

Once they landed, Bulma, Yamcha and Krillin came out to greet them. They were quite shocked to see a small Namekian child alongside Tien instead of Kami.

"Hehe...Boy Kami, you sure got alot shorter." Krillin joked, laughing slightly at his own jest. Dende didn't seem to find it amusing. "So ah..." Krillin said, now very awkward "Who is this little guy?" he asked.

"Dende. He's the sole survivor from the village Kami and I visited." Tien explained. A grave look crossed the triclops' face "Things are far worse than we imagined guys. The one leading the invaders is called Frieza, his power is...Ungodly. And of all things, it feels as if he's actually holding back. In addition he has two bodyguards, both who are stronger than Vegeta was on Earth." Tien explained, his lips forming a thin frown.

"And...Frieza already has five of Namek's Dragon Balls." Tien replied. This sent chills down the collective spines of the group.

After a lengthy silence, Yamcha spoke up "Well, we're boned."

"W-well, maybe not..." Bulma spoke up, checking her Dragon Radar "We could get the remaining two, so long as Frieza doesn't have those, they're useless." she explained, pinpointing the location of the remaining balls.

"And the five Frieza's already got? What are we gonna do about them?" Krillin asked, folding his arms over his chest.

Bulma glanced to Yamcha and a wicked grin graced her features "Well, Frieza has to store them somewhere...And Yamcha here was pretty good at stealing things from people." she hinted. At this, Yamcha seemed to turn white as a sheet.

"W-wha...You expect me to go into his lair? I'll get massacred!" Yamcha yelled.

"Maybe not..." Tien mused "Most of Frieza's footsoldiers seemed pretty weak from what I saw, power levels no higher than 3000 for most. Right now Kami is taking care of Vegeta and one of Frieza's bodyguards, so long as you avoid Frieza and his green-haired prettyboy, you should be fine." Tien mused.

"So it's settled." Bulma said "Tien, you swap shifts with Yamcha and Krillin and stay here to guard the ship, Krillin you go with Dende and retrieve the two remaining Dragon Balls. Yamcha, you try to find and sneak aboard Frieza's ship to steal his Dragon Balls."

"Don't I get a say in this...?" Yamcha asked. He seemed to go unheard.

"Sounds like a plan." Tien replied, crossing his arms and raking a seat on a smooth stone within the cave entrance.

Bulma handed the radar to Krillin, who then strolled over to Dende. "Hey there little buddy, I'm Krillin!" the bald monk said cheerily, extending a hand out to Dende. The green child eyed him with the same apathy he seemed to view everyone else with, and stared at Krillin's hand as if he didn't understand the gesture.

"Dende." the Namekian child said simply in response. "Follow me. None of the others will trust you unless I vouch for you." Dende remarked, before flying off with Krillin.

* * *

Kami's fists were moving so fast that they were green blurs shooting through the air, but Vegeta's own fists were moving at an equally fast pace. Their knuckles kept colliding with each other infinitely.

Dodoria had managed to stand up once more, his broken arm hanging loosely at his side and smoke drifting off his shattered, charred breaths were heaved, ragged. He was beaten, that much was very clear to him...Maybe he should cut his losses and just run. Then again, if there was one thing Frieza hated, it was a runner.

So he sucked it up, and began to gather all the ki he had left, the island beneath his feet shaking and rumbling from his power. He opened his mouth wide and gave a long, growing growl of power, a large golden orb of energy starting to form inside of his maw.

Then he fired, the massive bolt of gold light illuminating the green sky of Namek. Both warriors turned and blocked at the same time, the energy beam exploding against them. The force behind the collision send small tidal waves crashing up against the mixtures of islands. The large plume of smoke cleared, and Dodoria's last ditch attack had done little more than singe the skin of the two warriors.

The Namekian gave a roar and shot is hand out, a beam of blue ki shooting from his outstretched palm. It swooped and soared, and then it struck Dodoria's shocked face. It tore the flesh from the bone, and then after another split second the bone was utterly destroyed too. Then Dodoria's headless corpse pitched forth and collapsed into the grass with a loud thud.

However, Kami's victory was short lived, Vegeta quickly kicking him in the back of the skull and sending him soaring into the murky green water below.

There was a few seconds of silence, but Kami soon emerged from the water and hastily deflected a small blast from Vegeta's palm and then lunged at the short Saiyan. Vegeta swerved around Kami's fist and drove his knee up into the Namekian's ribs. Kami gagged from the sudden jolt of pain, and Vegeta took advantage of the situation by backhanding Kami onto the shores of one of the larger islands.

Kami hopped back to his feet quickly and sidestepped one swipe from Vegeta, responding by smashing his green brow into Vegeta's face and sending a spurt of the prince's blood flying out of Vegeta's mouth.

Vegeta manage to duck under the swing of Kami's strong arm, and then punched Kami into the gut with such force that it lifted Kami's feet off the blue grass for the span of a few seconds. Then Vegeta spun and kicked Kami in the jaw, sending Kai crashing into the wall of a large mesa, embedding his body into the rocky surface.

"Hehe...I'm going to get the Dragon Balls...Get my immortality..." Vegeta cracked his knuckles and advanced on Kami, his heavy footsteps ringing in Kami's pointed ears "I'll make sure to kill every Namekian when I'm done, a little favour to you." Veins began to bulge out on Kami's head "Then I'll head to Earth, and make the people there pay for the humiliation your allies inflicted on me!"The veins began to pup up along Kami's arms, but his head was still hung low.

"I'll make them all pay!" Vegeta yelled, pulling a gloved fist back and swinging it forth for the coup de grace.

Suddenly Vegeta's fist was caught by Kami's own, pulsing veins running up his dark green skin. He looked up, his eyes glowing a pale yellow colour, filled with nothing but hatred and contempt. "No. I don't believe you will." Kami replied, his voice sounding far deeper and more menacing right now. Almost like the voice of a different person.

A purple aura burst from Kami's body, blowing apart the mesa behind him and sending rock fragments flying away. His body seemed to...Double in size, his hand now dwarfing Vegeta's fist which was in his grip, and his power level skyrocketed too. With a wicked grin on his face he twisted Vegeta's hand, and the prince gave a pained howl as his wrist snapped like a piece of dry wood.

"You won't get your immortality or your revenge." the Namekian growled, delivering a punch with his enlarged fist, launching Vegeta across the green sea and smashing into a large boulder which shattered into nothing.

"Because you will die here, at the hands of King Piccolo."

* * *

Raditz was decked by another strong blow from Kakarot, the force of 30 times Earth's gravity sending him crashing down flat on his back "Ah! I give, I give!" the long-haired Saiyan yelled, extending one arm out and stopping Kakarot's advance.

"Sheesh. You've been going down alot quicker recently. Everything okay?" Kakarot asked, sitting beside his sibling.

In truth, Raditz was not okay. He had no idea how it was possible, but Kakarot was starting to surpass him. He was growing faster, stronger, developing more stamina, and was the one yielding the best results from their training. "I dunno. Something's holding me back from doing my best, like...Well I'm only telling you because you're my brother. I feel guilty."

Kakarot raised a brow and then went over to turn off the gravity controls so Raditz could sit up fully. "What has you feeling guilty?" Kakarot asked, sitting beside Raditz.

The long-haired Saiyan breathed a low sigh "I feel guilty because of...What happened to Chi Chi." he admitted, hanging his head slightly "I should've attacked Nappa first, could've killed him before he did any damage. But in the end I got so caught up in fighting Vegeta, that Chi Chi wound up getting killed by a cheap shot."

Kakarot's mouth formed into a thin frown "You can't blame yourself for any deaths. They knew what they were getting into and they were fully willing to sacrifice themselves to save their home." His hand came to rest on Raditz shoulder "And besides, we can bring her back to life with the Dragon Balls. Cheer up." Kakarot said, patting his brother's shoulder.

Raditz gave a small exhale "She was...Well, she's the only female I've met on your world to really interest me. She was...I don't know, maybe it's stupid to assume, but maybe we'd be mates by now if she hadn't died when she did."

A plan formed in Kakarot's mind, and a grin crossed his face "Would you say you loved her?"

Raditz gave a snort in response "How the hell would I know love? I suppose I could have. Yes, I could love her."

"Interesting. You know I telepathically asked King Kai to let Chi Chi listen in on our little chat there." Kakarot remarked. He hadn't, of course, but Raditz didn't need to know that. He certainly seemed pissed off, as the younger Saiyan had intended.

Raditz hopped to his feet, gritting his teeth "What?! Oh you son of a bitch! Get the fuck up, it's go time!" he roared, punching in the previous gravity settings and launching straight back into a spar with Kakarot.

_'Hehe...I knew that'd get him back on his feet for training...'_

* * *

Another blow to the torso from that monstrous fist and Vegeta smashed face first into the dirt, struggling to get back upright "How...How did you get all this power...?" he grunted out.

A migraine was burning in King Piccolo's skull, he knew he had mere moments before his brief reign of control would come to an end and Kami would be in charge once more. "Guess you just pushed me too far." he remarked, punching his palm.

Vegeta gave a snarl and flung a ki ball at Kami with his good hand, the blast exploding against the Namekian's chest and forcing him back a few inches. Quickly Vegeta blasted skyward, and raised his good hand up to charge a Gallick Gun, his whole body glowing with purple ki.

The wave was launched toward Piccolo, who braced his arm against the incoming wave. The Namekian, almost 13 feet tall at this stage, felt the burn go against his arm. It tore and burnt strips off his flesh, but aside from that he seemed to handle it with ease.

He flew toward Vegeta, purple blood oozing from the open wounds on his arms and torso, and running down his nose from the massive headache burning into his brain.

He brushed past Vegeta's punch and his giant fist struck the prince's ribs over and over again, managing to shatter the bone from the enhanced force behind the strike. King Piccolo gave a mad cackle and raised both fists high, driving them into Vegeta's back. Vegeta screamed as he hurtled downward, smashing into one island with enough force to send a web of cracks running along the rocky ground.

Vegeta struggled to his feet, and then felt a large shadow fall over him, he turned and suddenly both his elbows were caught in the crushing grip of Piccolo's giant hands. His legs were simply too short to kick away at the giant who now held him captive.

"I...Will not die here, not against a filthy slug like you!" Vegeta spat. he let out a shrill yell as the grip tightned, his elbows threatening to shatter under the strain upon them.

"Once again, we disagree." King Piccolo remarked coldly. He started to pull, and Vegeta's yells became frantic and terrified, skin, muscle and bone tearing like paper along the centre of his body. Then with a tug from his mighty arms, King Piccolo tore Vegeta clean in half, holding each severed part of Vegeta's body by the arms. "Hehe. Call yourself a villain?" the looming Namekian asked, casually flinging the bloodied lumps that had been the prince of Saiyans into the green ocean, where they sank to the ocean floor.

"Hehe...This generation, they don't know how to be evil..." King Piccolo murmured, his body shrinking to it's normal size, the blood gushing from his nose growing worse. His legs buckled, and the Namekian fell back, unconscious.

* * *

A/N: Well, I hope that came as a shock to all of you. Uehehehe.

**Power Levels:**

-King Piccolo/Kami (Partial Giant Namek): 42,750

-Raditz: 30,480

-Kakarot: 31,300


	13. The Great Dragon Ball Heist

"Well, I'll be damned...Kami just killed Vegeta." Krillin remarked, the Dragon Ball tucked neatly under one of his arms as he flew along with Dende at his side. The duo had come to one small village and Krillin and Dende promised to keep the Dragon Ball safe. And at their urging the villagers also agreed to go hide in a secluded area.

He had sensed the whole battle as it took place, sensed the massive increase in Kam's ki and then the vanishing of Vegeta's own ki. Still, Kami's ki took a massive drop almost immediately after. Something was most definitely up.

"Hey Dende, thanks for vouching for me at that village. I'll need your help with getting Guru's Dragon Ball, but could you please follow me on a little detour?" Krillin asked "My friend Kami, the Namekian from before, I think something might have happened to him.I wanna go and investigate what happened to him."

Dende gave a small nod of his head response "I owe him my life, so it's only fair that I try help preserve his own." he replied.

Thus the duo swerved and changed course, Krillin leading the way to the faint trace of Kami's ki. The two flew low so that they could recieve some degree of cover from the hills of the various islands, just in case some of Frieza's men were watching out for them.

Soon they found Kami's unconscious form on the shore of one battle-scarred island, his body marked by a series of vile burns and open wounds. Krillin quietly landed beside Kami, and gently shook the unconscious Namekian's shoulder. He tried a few times before he gained any response, a pained groan from Kami.

"Where'm I...?" he mumbled in a sore, cracked voice "Why is my head hurting...?" he asked, pausing a moment to hock up some purple blood "Horrible migraine."

"Yikes. I know the fight between you and Vegeta must've been intense, but he really gave you a beating." Krillin remarked, wincing at some of Kami's fresher wounds. Dende slowly advance and held two hands forth, and to the surprise of the bald human a wave of gold light began to radiate from the Namekian child's hand. It washed over Kami's injured body and then slowly his wounds healed up.

When he finished healing Kami with his healing magic, Dende gave a small sigh of exertion and Kami managed to stand up, inspecting the damage on his clothing. "So...Where's Vegeta's body?" Krillin asked, after a moment's awkward silence.

"I...Don't remember." Kami admitted, his eyes widening at the realisation "I was fighting him and then I...I blacked out. Did I win?" Kami asked aloud. Krillin gave a shrug.

"Well your ki went down after his did, so I'm assuming as much."

"Argh...Never mind, it's a matter for later. I see you have one of the remaining Dragon Balls, are you heading to get the second one?" Kami asked.

Krillin nodded "Yeah, the Grand Elder Guru of Namek has it. Wanna tag along? Yamcha hasn't made a move to gather the ones Frieza has, but he'll let us know if he needs any help." the bald monk explained, glancing in the direction of the large spire where the Guru's white palace was situated.

"Very well." Kami replied, cracking his knuckles slowly. He flew off first, and was soon joined with Dende and Krillin at his sides.

He had met the Grand Elder the last time he was on Namek, a great fat Namek but wiser than Kami. It seems he was the one who birthed the current generation of Namekians, no easy feat, that was for sure. He was a fair man, he would give his Dragon Ball up to Kami's group.

* * *

Yamcha peered his head around the large boulder which gave him cover, his eyes firmly locked onto Frieza's flying saucer. There were quite a few of his troops milling around outside the craft, but they were all fairly weak and he could take them down easily enough if it came to it. "Okay, Operation: I Am So Going To Die, begins now." Yamcha muttered to himself, rolling back behind the boulder which gave him cover.

He slowly raised on arm up, one finger raised upward, lightning of various colours starting to arc up his arm and gathering into a gradually growing sphere on his upraised fingertip "C'mon c'mon, just a lil' more power..." Yamcha grunted, the crackling orange sphere floating above his finger now being slightly bigger than the size of a melon.

"Well, that's as good as it's gonna' get." Yamcha remarked, the area around him glowing a pale orange in colour, as if he were by a camp fire. Yamcha moved the Extra Large Spirit Ball around on his finger and then flung it just east of Frieza's ship.

The glowing sphere caught the eyes of the soldiers outside just as it soared over there heads, and it travelled a few miles past their ship, whereupon it struck a distant island and exploded with such white hot intensity that the soldiers shrieked and covered their eyes. The ground rumbled and shook from the intense violence behind the blast, and large gusts of wind forced the troopers into entering their fighting stances to withstand the assault.

Finally it passed and the sky went from white to green again. Yamcha dove into the dark, murky green waters of Namek and slowly swam closer to the ship. Fro his hidden position underwater, he could see Frieza and Zarbon, who he recognised from the terribly evil ki signatures that Tien had described, rise up from their ship.

"What the HELL was that?! Come on you useless fools, we're investigating that explosion." Frieza snapped menacingly, every soldier gathered outside falling into line a split second after he said that. The group flew off behind Frieza, and Yamcha allowed himself the chance to swim closer to the flying saucer.

He pulled himself onto the shore and whipped some jet black hair from his face "Hehe...I am too good sometime's..." Yamcha remarked. He could still sense a few power levels inside the ship, but they were pretty weak, and without their scouters they couldn't contact Frieza at all.

Yamcha made his move then, racing toward the ship and leaping up to the roof of the circular craft. He dove down a hole in the roof of the ship, and then he was racing through the corridors, too fast for the remaining soldiers to detect. All that they'd see would be an orange blur, before the bandit's fist struck their skulls so hard it caused them to spin and snap their necks.

The Scar-Faced Bandit had spent a bit of his ki doing that little distraction of his, but even so he was a good deal stronger than most of these grunts.

And so he ran and ran, checking every room he passed by to see if he could find the five Dragon Balls Frieza had seized already. He had to be storing them somewhere safe, right? Yamcha kept on searching and sure enough, he opened one door that led into a beige room, featureless save for the large hemispherical purple window that gazed out into the horizon of Namek...And the five orange Dragon Balls gathered about on the floor of the room.

"Holy crap, these things are freaking huge compared to Earth's ones..." he remarked, tapping one of the gargantuan orange spheres with one finger. "No way I can carry all of these at once..." Yamcha remarked, moving to the large purple window.

"Still...Maybe just getting them out of this ship will be enough. I can throw 'em as far as possible, then use the radar to get them back later." he said aloud. Yes, that was a sound plan. He had stashed stolen goods like that in his days as a bandit, a safe way to evade the authorities. Stash the goods and retrieve them once the heat died down...

A blue ball of ki formed in Yamcha's hand, which the bandit promptly flung at the large window. The explosive force struck the glass and blew a large hole in the ship, letting in the clean Namekian air.

"Only have a little time to do this..." Yamcha said, rushing over and plucking up the first sphere to throw out the window.

* * *

Zarbon turned once he heard an echo of an explosion, and his pretty features shifted into a mask of shock "Ah, Lord Frieza, there's been an exlosion at the ship!" he called out, pointing one finger to the plume of smoke rising from the distant sihouette of the flying saucer.

The rest of the column stopped flying, and Frieza whipped his head around "Oh hell. Zarbon, make yourself useful and go check on the ship." he ordered.

"By your command, Lord Frieza." Zarbon replied, hastily bowing in mid-air, before turning and racing toward the craft with his lilac cape fluttering wildly behind him.

Frieza watched him fly off, his lips pulled into a tight, unpleasant frown. He knew he called the Ginyu Force with good reason once he dropped the Dragon Balls off at the ship. Something was most definitely afoot on Namek.

* * *

The Grand Elder's palace stood at the top of a rather tall spire of rock. It was, much like any other building built on Namek, a large all-white structure made up of several white curved components, two spikes on the centre hemisphere, blue circular windows dotted about the structure.

Just as the trio landed, the white door of the palace opened vertically, and a tall young Namekian warrior stepped out, clad in a navy vest and baggy white trousers, a ruffled white collar wrapped around his green neck. "Nail!" Dende exclaimed eagerly "I'm so happy to see you safe and sound!" he added, grinning from ear to ear.

"It's good to see you too Dende...And your allies." Nail replied, his expression showing no real hint of emotion. "Guru is aware of what's going. Come, he'll see you all now." Nail said, leading the way through the open doorway.

"If Guru is aware of what's going on, why does he have you back here?" Dende asked. That was an interesting point. From what Kami and Krillin could sense, this Nail character had a greater power level than any of Frieza's men...Then again, he was far weaker than Frieza himself.

"The Guru is aware that his final days are near. I will stay here to guard him until his final breath." Nail explained as he led the way inside. The building had two storeys, and at Nail's instruction the others floated up through a hole in the ceiling to the second floor.

The towering figure inside certainly shocked Krillin. He was a giant, fat Namek, so old and wrinkled that he seemed incapable of even opening his eyes. "He's...Huge." Krillin said bluntly. Captain Obvious to the rescue...

"Welcome back son of Katas, and thank you for saving my child Dende from those marauding invaders. I see you have brought an Earthling with you too, welcome." Guru greeted. Aside from his mouth, his body remained as still as the stone his massive white throne was comprised of. Atop his throne, was the last unclaimed Dragon Ball. "Many of my children have already been slain by these monsters...They pursue our Dragon Balls, correct?"

Krillin nodded swiftly "Yes. I'll be blunt Lord Guru, we need to borrow your Dragon Ball. Will you give it to us, I swear we won't let them take it!"

Guru gave a grunt of pain and plucked the sphere off the back of his throne "Here, you may take it. But I doubt you will be able to make any wishes with it." Guru remarked, placing the ball in Krillin's hand "In a few days time I'll be dead, and the Dragon Balls shall die with me." he explained.

"Regardless, we'll do what we can to keep the Dragon Ball safe. I refuse to let that tyrant gain eternal life." Kami replied, clasping his hands behind his back.

"You both have my thanks. I can sense a great deal of potential inside both of you. Please, come closer and allow me to unlock it." Krillin tilted his head but stepped forth nonetheless, wincing slightly as the Guru placed his hand on Krillin's chrome dome. Suddenly Krillin's whole body was enveloped in a white aura of ki, and the bald monk gave a gasp once he felt his massive jump in power.

"W-whoa! This is incredible! I never imagined I had so much potential, it's amazing!" Krillin exclaimed, almost losing grip on the Dragon Ball in his excitement.

It was Kami who stepped forth next to get his unlocked power. He gave a small gasp as the power rang through every pore of his body, and once the white aura faded he felt stronger now than ever before. "A-Amazing." he muttered in shock "Krillin quickly, go get Tien, and I'm sure Yamcha will be back by now. They need their power unlocked too, we'll need every advantage."

Krillin gave a nod and ran off with the Dragon Ball clasped firmly in his hands. Guru's expression turned grave, and he slowly looked toward Kami "The evil in your mind is growing stronger, Kami." the large Namekian said.

Kami blinked in surprise "E-excuse me? What do you mean, I've kept Piccolo under control for years now."

"Or so he would have you believe. He has perhaps lain in wait for many years, waiting for the right time to take control. Albeit, it was for a brief period last time, but he may well find a way to get permanent control if you lose control yourself." Guru explained "Keep your rage under control."

* * *

Yamcha gave a sigh of relief once he flung the last Dragon Ball away through the blown out ship window, and without wasting another moment the bandit flared his white aura up and flew across the wastes of Namek.

He only managed to make it about a mile from the ship before he was truck in the back and sent hurtling toward the ground with a thunderous hurricane crash. Yamcha glared up and saw Zarbon looming overhead, assuming him to be the 'prettyboy' Tien had referred to earlier "Hmph,it's fortunate for me you're so slow. Now then stranger, are you going to tell me where you put the Dragon Balls that you've stolen?"

Yamcha grinned wickedly and gave a mock shrug "Sorry man, I'm not into that sort of thing. Now, it's the 21st century, and I respect your decision to go after balls bu-" Zarbon promptly drop kicked Yamcha across the grassy plaines of the island he'd crashed onto.

"How drole. I certainly haven't heard jokes like those before." Zarbon remarked, clenching and unclenching his fist slowly "In all seriousness, I'll beat the crap out of you until you decide to tell the truth, mister comedian."

"Bring it on!" Yamcha yelled, spitting some blood into the blue grass and then dashing at Zarbon. The alien tilted his head to one side to avoid the punch and then smacked Yacha away with a lash of his green ponytail. Yamcha rolled and managed to land on his feet, but Zarbon was behind him before he could do anything else, and a swift roundhouse kick led to Yamcha being sprawled out on the grass.

"Hmph, come now, you're barely a third of my strength. Give it up and tell me where you put the Dragon Balls." Zarbon remarked, lazily raising two fingers and forming a gold dot of ki on his fingertips.

Yacha started flipping and rolling and dodging and swerving to avoid the volley of finger beams that Zarbon was shooting his way "Never!" Yamcha yelled back, backflipping onto another sea stack _'C'mon, follow me fruitcake. Just gotta lead you further and further away from the mother ship, and then you'll get a taste of the wolf!'_

One of Zarbon's energy bolts struck Yamcha in the chest and exploded against him, knocking Yamcha off the sea stack and into the ocean. Zarbon landed on one foot where Yamcha had stood a mere moment ago, and started to scan about to see if Yamcha was still alive under the water.

Suddenly, Yamcha burst from the sea behind Zarbon and swung his heel up, smashing it into the alien's face. Zarbon's head jerked slightly from the impact, and his eyes slowly widened.

Quick as a flash Yamcha started flying away again, while Zarbon slowly touched his lips onc he felt something wet. He pulled his finger away to see a smudge of purple blood, and his brow furrowed in anger. That little bastard had ruined Zarbon's beautiful face by bruising it!

A yell of rage escaped Zarbn's lips, and he rapidly took off after Yamcha. A large orb of yellow energy formed in the alien's hand, and he flung it straight at the fleeing bandit. The blast struck him and enveloped Yamcha in a dark plume of smoke.

**"KAIOKEN TIMES THREE!"**

"Kaio wha-" Zarbon was cut short by Yamcha embedding his fist into the alien's jaw, his whole body glowing a dark red shade. The ki blast seemed to have done some damage to the bandit's clothing and body, but the Kaioken gave him a burst of vitality and might!

In the span of a few seconds the bandit managed to land five strong punches to Zarbon's face, bloodying and bruising it, managed to drive his knee up into the alien's solar plexus, elbowed him in the spine, and then managed to kick his foe to the ocean with one mighty roundhouse kick to the back.

Yamcha, despite the strain growing on his body, flared his scarlet aura up once more and raced after Zarbon as he fell toward the sea. He managed to catch up to the green-haired alien before he crashed into the ocean and drove his fists into Zarbon's body, sending in hurtling along the island.

The bandit dashed straight after the soaring Zarbon, and his crimson aura condensed into Yamcha's cupped hands "Exploding Wolf Fang Fist!" he howled, driving his glowing hands forward. They exploded against Zarbon's body and send him crashing into a large rock formation which proceeded to collapse upon Zarbon's body.

Yamcha landed and gave a sigh of exertion, his aura fading away. His body was covered in sweat, his whole body aching from the strain. "Shit...Shouldn't have kept that up for so long."

Suddenly the whole island began to rumble and Yamcha was almost knocked over from the quaking. The rock formation exploded away from Zarbon's body from the force of his flared aura. His armour was heavily damaged, his cape was gone, his face was covered with bruises and blood, his gloves were torn up...And by god he looked pissed.

"You little bastard!" Zarbon spat, his muscles swelling and veins popping up along his visible skin "I'll rip you apart!" he roared.

_'O-oh crap...'_ Yamcha said, sending a telepathic message out to the others _'Guys, I could really do with a hand right about now!'_ he called out.

* * *

Tien had been doing push-ups once Yamcha's message reached him, and a split second ater he sensed the powerful shift in his opponents power level. "Damnit Yamcha, you had one job and that didn't involve picking fights with people four times stronger than you." Tien muttered, hopping to his feet.

Bulma emerged from the capsule house at the back of the cave, just as Tien started to fly off to where Yamcha was going "Ah! Where the hell are you going?! You can't leave me on this crazy planet alone!" she yelled after him.

* * *

A/N: Next chapter, Monster Zarbon vs the tag-team of Yamcha and Tien!

**Power Levels:**

-Yamcha's Spirit Ball: 16,775

-Yamcha (Post Spirit Ball): 8560

- Krillin (Potential unlocked): 26,700

- Kami (Potential unlocked): 35'975

- Nail: 42,000

-Yamcha (Kaioken x3): 25,680

-Yamcha (Kaioken strain): 5400

-Zarbon (Monster): 35,000


	14. Slay the Beast!

"Dude, you are ugly!" Yamcha exclaimed, leaping back from Zarbon's new monstrous form. Indeed, ugly seemed the right word to use, and it was just such a contrast compared to the beautiful feminine face Zarbon normally wore.

The hulking beast, cackling before Yamcha, was almost two feet taller than him. His blue skin was covered in scales and blisters, his teeth were like rows of knives glinting in the pale light, his bulged out eyes showed nothing but menace and malice. He wiped his blood fro his maw and gave another cackle.

"Well you saw the beauty before, you little thief...But now you've pushed me to release the beast!" he remarked, punching his palm and cracking the earth beneath his feet from the force.

He drove himself at Yamcha faster than the bandit could react to, and a firm backhand to the face sent Yamcha smashing into a cliff which proceeded to collapse upon him.

"Tell me where the Dragon Balls are!" Zarbon roared, leaping through the air and ready to crash upon Yamcha with the one arm he pulled back to strike him down. Summoning up what energy he had left, Yamcha flipped back to avoid the strike which instead split the earth where he had been laying mere moments ago.9

"Never!" Yamcha spat. That seemed to enrage the monstrous alien, who flew straight at Yamcha and struck him with a powerful shoulder charge which sent Yamcha reeling off the island and into the green sea.

Yamcha burst from the waves and launched a blue ki ball at Zarbon, which the beast casually deflected. He gave a cackle and leapt toward Yamcha.

Suddenly, a scarlet blur struck Zarbon in the side with such force that he hurtled several dozen metres away and collided with a distant mesa. The impact utterly destroyed the distant mound of earth and sent a mushroom cloud of dust into the sky.

"T-Tien?" Yamcha asked aloud, standing upright and looking to the Triclops as his red aura faded "Man am I glad to see you!" he exclaimed.

"Don't get too excited." Tien said, his gaze firmly locked to where he had launched Zarbon "I only got a lucky hit in there because he can't sense ki. At best that only slowed him down..." he quickly glanced to Yamcha "Come on, we'll need to attack together. How are you energy wise?" he asked.

Yamcha gave a sigh and stretched himself "Pushed Kaioken times three for too long so I'm pretty sore and tired. Still, I'll do what I can to help you."

Zarbon came soaring back toward the group, and Tien quickly dropped into his Crane stance. **"Kaioken times three!"** he called out, the earth splitting beneath his feet from the surge of energy. He flew forth and narrowly dodged one swipe from Zarbon, and then promptly swung a kick into the alien's ribs.

Zarbon gagged in pain but managed to give a quick counter by driving his fist into Tien's jaw with enough force to knock him out of Kaioken and sent him tumbling back to one small island.

Tien managed to land on his feet and had to flip back to escape the explosive bolt launched from Zarbon's palm. He raised a finger to the sky where Zarbon was floating and yelled out **"Dodonpa!" **as a yellow finger beam shot from his outstretched index finger. It exploded against Zarbon's shoulder, and the alien gave a howl of pain from the explosion that left a black scorch on his exposed human.

"You little whelp..." Zarbon growled out, rubbing the burn on his scaly flesh "THAT was a big mistake..."

* * *

"Fifty five times normal gravity. I'm quite impressed by how far we've both come." Raditz remarked while he and his brother threw punches and kicks at each other, sending drops of sweat scattering onto the glowing red floors of the gravity chamber.

"Well, we still have more levels of gravity we can use." Kakarot replied. He flipped away from one punch and landed clean on his feet before lunging at his older brother again,swinging a flurry of kicks which Raditz barely blocked.

Raditz skidded back and nodded his head "Yeah. Well we have like...What, three days before we reach Namek? Think we can make it to one hundred times normal gravity by then?"

"Hehe...I know we can. I'm sure Chi Chi will love to see how strong you've become." Kakarot replied teasingly.

Raditz scowled and managed to deck his brother across the floor of the gravity chamber "Shut up Kakarot." he said bluntly, continuing to scowl.

* * *

A powerful roundhouse kick launched Tien across the grassy fields and smashing headfirst into a large lump of rock. He managed to get up and flared his Kaioken aura to life, using the speed boost to dodge a flurry of energy blasts heading his way, narrowly dodging the trail of explosions racing after him.

"Hold still you little insect!" Zarbon snarled. He halted his energy blasting and then zipped straight at Tien. The triclops managed to land a few powerful blows, but with Kaioken times two Tien's blows only managed to stagger Zarbon back slightly.

Zarbon quickly caught both of Tien's fists and then proceeded to headbutt Tien repeatedly, sending sprays of blood and spittle into the air fro the repeated impacts. Zarbon was laughing wickedly throughout every blow, before growing bored and throwing Tien into one island which shattered from the force of the impact.

"Nyahaha! I only need to keep one of you idiots alive to tell me where you left the Dragon Balls..." Zarbon cackled menacingly, raising one rm up and forming a crackling ball of yellow ki in his palm.

Suddenly, they sky took on a pale blue hue and Zarbon turned to see a Kamehameha wave heading his way. When it was mere inches away Yamcha yelled out **"Kaioken times three!" **sending a surge of red up the beam.

It struck Zarbon and caused a massive explosion so powerful that it kicked up small tidal waves in the ocean below. Zarbon was sent hurtling into the raging sea, and Tien managed to make it to Yamcha just as he collapsed backward onto the hard ground.

"Are you okay? What the hell were you thinking, pushing yourself like that?!" Tien snapped, crouching beside his former rival.

"Ah...Doesn't hurt as bad as it looks..." Yamcha mumbled "Just forced all that Kaioken energy into the Kamehameha wave to lessen the strain...Still hurts like hell though."

That gave Tien an idea, channelling the Kaioken energy into a localised area, but he had little time to refine it once he sensed Zarbon rushing his way.

"I think my attack shaved off some of his energy, but you gotta' take care of the rest Tien..." Yamcha grunted out. Tien gave a stern nod and slowly turned to face the incoming reptilian beast zooming across the sea.

Tien's scarlet aura flared to life and he flung himself straight at Zarbon. He delivered a flurry of bicycle kicks to Zarbon's face and sent him staggering back through the air, and then drove forth his fist to ram it into Zarbon's brow. But, the beast managed to dodge the strike and hit Tien with a powerful clothesline, followed by a dropkick that sent Tien crashing into the ground and forming a deep crater from the force of the impact.

Zarbon quickly shoved one scaly hand forth and yelled **"Elegant Blaster!" **sending a large wave of yellow ki after the downed Triclops. Tien forced himself to his feet and leapt back to avoid the blast, forcing his arms up to block the beam. It struck the crater where Tien had crashed a mere moment ago, but the ensuing explosion was so powerful that it flung Tien even further through the air and forming a deep trench in the ground from the momentum of his body.

Tien struggled to his feet and started huffing for breath, before glaring up at Zarbon. The beast gave a mad cackle an then flung a bolt of energy at Tien. The triclops stood fully and pressed his hands together, his index fingers upright and then gave a loud yell. The beam collided with the invisible field of Tien's kiai attack and then exploded against th ground directly before him.

Tien rushed through the smoke and surged up his Kaioken Times Two aura, finding it far less strenuous to maintain than the higher levels, and drove himself at Zarbon. His palm struck the green-haired alien in the snout and then a firm elbow to the jaw which staggered the alien back further.

Zarbon gave an animalistic roar, sending bloody saliva flying off his bloated lips, and then elbowed Tien in the stomach sending him skidding back. Then a strong boot to the face knocked Tien flat on his back.

The triclops gave a pained groan but managed to get up, narrowly flipping away from another punch. He then proceeded to backflip away repeatedly and landed on his feet just as Zarbon began to rush at him like a mad bull. **"Kaioken times...Four!" **Tien roared. Zarbon's eyes widened, but he had no time to react before Tien was upon him. His fists struck the Planet Trade soldier over a dozen times in the span of a few seconds, leaving Zarbon's eyes bulging out of his head from the agony of the blows.

With one quick strike he launched Zarbon into the air and flying off into a distant island. Tien's aura dispersed and the triclops swayed slightly from the strain "Agh...Only used it for a few seconds and it still hurts."

He'd wasted a bit of power with that, and Zarbon was still kicking...He had to end this here and now, otherwise he'd lack the strength to finish him.

Zarbon was bounding his way, like a monster from mythology, a hideous and unrelenting beast that needed to be put down. A savage creature who served a far crueller master. Tien had seen this man's casual slaughter of innocent elderly Namekians and the warriors who tried to defend their homes. Who knew how many countless others had been killed at this beasts hand? Beautiful on the outside, but now he'd let his ugliness bubble straight to the surface.

Tien dropped into his fighting stance and then rapidly pressed his fingertips to his bald head **"SOLAR FLARE!"**

The white hot flash of light caught Zarbon off guard, and he gave a howl of pain. He covered his damaged eyes with one bulky forearm and slashed wildly with his free arm, still flying at Tien. "Now or never..." Tien grunted, his red aura flickering to life.

It seemed to burn and blaze and then condensed into a blazing scarlet aura surrounding only his forearm. It felt as if it as going to explode, but he only needed to maintain it for a moment more...

Tien drove his fist up and it pierced straight through Zarbon's ribs, driving up and up with a never-ending momentum. It sucked up Tien's forearm and then his hole upper arm once he had anaged to piece through Zarbon's back, a splatter of blood and gore shooting upward from the momentum behind his fist.

The triclops quickly shoved the impaled giant off of him and let the beast crash to the earth with a loud thud. He gurgled and gagged from the pain and somehow he was STILL alive, but he'd be dead soon enough. "Maybe in the time it takes you to die, you'll realise that this was a fate richly deserved for all the harm you've caused."

Tien's whole body ached, his arm especially from that little stunt. Still, trying to focus the Kaoiken energy to only boost one physical trait at a time...there was some real potential there.

"Holy crap! You guys really did a number on this place!" Krillin exclaimed, slowly landing behind the weary Tien, scanning over the damage done to the landscape.

"Ugh...Where the hell were you? And how the hell do you feel stronger now?" Tien asked.

Krillin laughed nervously and scratched the back of his neck "It's a long story, and you'll be able to get your own power boost soon enough. How's Yamcha? Did he get the Dragon Balls?" the bald monk asked.

"He's lying on the ground over there, and yeah he got them out...We'll need to gather them later, I'm sure Frieza will come sniffing around soon enough." Tien explained. "Damnit, let's just get moving, I need some rest."

With that Tien floated up, and Krillin helped Yamcha onto his shoulder. They flew together, and Krillin led the way to Guru's palace for healing.

* * *

It was hard to tell just how much time passed on Namek due to the multiple suns in their system, but in time the Z-warriors got their power-ups from Guru and then started stealthily snatched up the Dragon Balls. They had decided then and there to hide the Dragon Balls in a relatively barren area, and the four warriors slowly flew across the planet looking for a spot to bury the seven spheres.

"There, that should be a good spot." Kami said, flying ahead of the group and landing on an island which was only populated by one large tree. "We'll hide them here and then come retrieve them if need be." the Namekian said.

"It's a pretty good idea. If we keep them away from power levels, then they have no way in which to track the balls." Krillin said, grinning from ear to ear. "We only need to hide them a little while...I mean I know it's horrible to say, but once Guru dies the threat is gone."

"That or Frieza gets sick of looking and just tries to blow up the planet...I mean he's more than strong enough to do it..." Yamcha replied.

Tien scowled and set two Dragon Balls down "We'll need to find some way to stop him. You do realise that, right?" he asked aloud.

Kami nodded his head slowly "Yes, but how? You've sensed how powerful he is, what are we going to do to h-..." Kami trailed off, and the group went silent once they sensed some new power levels breach the atmosphere. Some were very high, reaching almost the level of strength that Nail had showcased. The strongest however, was almost thrice as powerful as Nail.

"Who...Who are these new guys?!" Krillin asked frantically the second he sensed them. "Do you um...Do you suppose they're friendly...?" he asked, forcing a grin.

"Knowing our luck? No." Yamcha replied bluntly.

* * *

A series of space pods crashed to earth before Frieza's flying saucer, shattering the ground on impact. From them several figures emerged and began to line up, one as short as a child and the other four getting pregressively taller until the tallest one was like a walking mountain.

The shortest was a stumpy green creature with a bald head and four eyes. The next was a red-skinned youth with flowing white hair. After him was atall purple man with a bulbous veiny cranium, two jet black horns sprouting up out of his skull. Then was a hulking giant of a man with a short crop of red hair on his Schwarzenegger-esque face. Lastly, the tallest was a giant blue-skinned snake-like creature, his red eyes gleaming with menace. All of them wore a similar suit of battle armour, marked by the crest of a horned head.

"Ah at last...The Ginyu Force have arrived." Frieza said wistfully.

* * *

A/N: Next chapter, the group has to take on the Ginyu force. How will they fair?Will kakarot and Raditz land in time to take on their captain?

**Power Levels:**

Tien (Base): 11,800

Yamcha's Kaioken Kamehameha: 19,500

Zarbon (Injured): 33,000

Tien (Kaioken x 4): 47,200

Tien (Fatigued): 7,300

Yamcha (Potential Unlocked): 18,700

Tien (Potential Unlocked): 19,550

Captain Ginyu: 120,000

Burter: 40,000

Jeice: 40,000

Recoome: 50,000

Guldo: 16,000


	15. Full Force

"Th-they're coming this way!" Krillin exclaimed, sensing the five large power levels heading straight toward them. "K-Kami, you got any ideas? We can't fight their strongest guy!"

Kami's face was unreadable, stoic and hard "Unless they have scouters, they shouldn't be able to track us...Quick, we'll blow a hole in the ground, and then we'll bury them. If they're tracking us by our power level, then we need to lead them away from the balls."

"An excellent plan." an unknown voice complimented.

All the Z-fighters turned their gaze upward, shocked to see the newcomers suddenly floating above them. "That might have actually worked, if you managed to move a little quicker...Too bad for you. Are you the leader of this group, Namekian?"

"Maybe. And who are you?" Kami asked, tensing up.

"Captain Ginyu!" the purple horned alien replied, his men landing before the Z-fighters. The group all seemed to strike some ridiculous pose "Leader of the Ginyu Force! Frieza's greatest fighting force!"

"Are these guys for real...?" Yamcha murmured to Krillin.

As if to prove a point, Ginyu gave a yell and shot one hand forth. The telekinetic power behind his shove launched the gathered warriors up into the air, and they had to power up in the sky to regain their composure. "He's...His power is immense!" Kami grunted.

"Now then, I'll leave you boys to decide amongst yourselves how you're going to kill these guys. I meanwhile, have some Dragon Balls to give to Frieza." Ginyu said, lifting the seven spheres up with a small flick of his fingers. He flew off with the dragon balls flying behind him, and the Z-Warriors were left to fend against the Ginyu Force.

"Damnit...After all that hard work." Tien grunted, watching the smirking faces of the remaining four warriors.

"We can get them back later, we should be able to beat these guys..." Kami said, eyeing them up "After that, well...Maybe if we all attack Captain Ginyu together we can take him down easily."

As for the Ginyu force themselves, well...they were playing Rock Paper Scissors to decide who would be fighting who, laughing and hollering like this was all a big game.

"Alright Guldo, you get the long-haired guy." Recoome remarked, pointing to Yamcha "Or maybe I should say, the only one with hair." he added, giving a brain-damaged laugh. Recoome was the very definition of dumb muscle...

The short,green creature of the group gave a small 'tch' and waddled forward "Why do I have to? Am I your garbage collector or something?" Yamcha shrugged and landed before Guldo. "Well, what are you waiting for? Bring it o-"

In a flash, Yamcha closed the distance between Guldo and himself and punched a hole clean through his face, splattering Guldo's head like an overripe melon.

"Oh...I ah...I thought he was holding back...I didn't think he'd really be that weak." Yamcha said, giving a nervous laugh, looking quite surprised at how easy that was.

"HOLY DOOLEY!" Jeice exclaimed, shocked by how quick Yamcha just moved "Smashed 'im before he could even use his time stopping powers! That's a first." the red-skinned alien said, giving a small laugh of his own "Alright Recoome, you're up."

"The scouter says the green guy is the strongest, I'm gonna fight him!" Recoome said, gesturing to Kami who immediately entered a fighting stance in response. Recoome was a fair bit stronger than Kami's base power, so he'd need to throw in the Kaioken to stop him...

Suddenly Recoome had closed the distance between them, and Kami only narrowly swerved to avoid a blow to the gut. Kami swung a kick up with as much force as he could muster, and Recoome made no effort to dodge the blow which struck the side of his elongated head, shattering his scouter to bits and sending him spiralling away.

"Hehe! Was that your hardest hit?" the red-haired giant mocked. He lunged at Kami and drove his elbow into the Namekian's ribs, making him gag in pain and hurtle downward. As he fell, Kami collected some ki into his palm and stretched his arm up.

The bolt of energy hit Recoome's chest and enveloped him in a powerful explosion, and the smoke screen still obscured him from view by the time Kami managed to land on the shore of one island and pul his arm backward.

The smoke gradually cleared, and Recoome was grinning like a child. His armour had been shattered, and the black shirt under it was slightly torn and burnt. He might have had some scorches on his skin, but he didn't seem to even be aware or in any sort of discomfort.

"Heh. I heard you Namekians are weak, but I didn't think you'd be this bad." Recoome mocked. Kami gave a snarl, but was forced to dodge again once Recoome started flinging purple ki balls at Kami, one after the other, kicking up a storm of explosions that seemed to follow the former Guardian around.

Kami made a miscalculation on his direction however, and wound up in the path of one bolt of ki. The explosion launched Kami high up into the air, and soon Recoome was laughing and swooping toward the slightly injured Namekian, his white gi torn up from the blast.

"I'm gonna break you like an egg!" Recoome said stupidly, raising one meaty fist up to smash his fist down on the Namekian. Kami's eyes popped open and a loud yell escaped his lips, his body becoming wreathed in the scarlet aura of his Kaioken x3 power. He drose his fist into Recoome's stomach, winding the giant and making his armour shatter further.

His fists moved like blurs, smashing over and over again into Recoome's face and chest, sending him staggering backward through the air. Kami's veins bulged to the surface of his skin from the growing pressure in his body...He'd have to stop his assault quick otherwise he'd explode! Moving with inhuman speed, Kami raised both his fists high and then slammed them down onto Recoome's spine, making the giant yell out in pain as he soared to earth and struck the ground with a thunderous crash, kicking up small tidal waves on the shores of the island.

Kami's aura faded and his arms slumped down, a grunt of pain escaping his lips. Maybe Namekian anatomy simply couldn't maintain the effects of Kaioken for too long? His regeneration meant he could recover from the fatigue faster than a human, but that was his only advantage it seemed.

He heard a laugh down below and his eyes widened in shock. Recoome's armour was shredded away, and he only had the tattered black undersuit on "Not bad Namekian, you're stronger than I thought!" he said, pointing to his missing tooth and black eye. It was as if he...Simply didn't feel pain at all.

Suddenly, Recoome was on him once more, and Kami was narrowly dodging his strikes. However he was soon struck in the diaphragm and a strangled gasp of agony escaped Kami's mouth. Grinning, Recoome grabbed him and started divebombing toward the ground with Kami in his grasp. He gave a loud yell and released his grip on Kami, and the Namekian's momentum launched him into the ground with such force that it shook the surface and left him embedded into the ground, his legs sticking up into the air.

Recoome silently landed beside Kami, still grinning wickedly "Hehe. Knocked out already?" he asked mockingly, gripping Kami's ankle and pulling him out of the dirt.

At first, it seemed he was unconscious, then suddenly his eyes popped open and two red beams of ki shot out. The energy shot through Recoome's shoulder, and the giant gave a yowl of pain from the piercing bolts, forcing him to release his grip on Kami.

Kami managed to flip around to glare at the giant, and suddenly the Namekian's body began to warp and bulk up, and suddenly he was in his partial Giant-Namekian form.

His green fist struck Recoome's jaw, sending two more teeth scattering out of the red-haired giant's mouth. Kami's fists kept hammering at the giant's chest, and the Namekian could swear he broke a rib or two...But he slipped up, one punch going wide and giving Recoome a chance to counter attack.

Recoome gave a holler and drove his fist into Kami's ribs, sending a splatter of purple blood into the air. With a quick motion, he managed to tear off one of Kami's giant arms, making the 12 foot tall Namek howl in agony before a quick kick sent him tumbling backward.

Recoome opened his mouth of broken teeth, and the earth began to rumble beneath him as he gathered his energy **"ERASER GUN!"** he yelled, before firing a full power ki blast out of his maw. Kami only had a split second to react. He lifted his remaining arm up and the purple bolt of ki exploded against Kami's body, pushing him backward inch by inch, shattering the land behind him.

Unwilling to stand on the sidelines any longer, Krillin shot forth. However, Recoome abruptly moved his head and his Eraser Gun followed the path of his head, and Krillin was forced to block against the concussive force of the ki beam which was forcing him backward.

The assault only stopped for a second before the hulking humanoid was upon him again "Hehe, you want some too baldy?" he yelled, slamming one fist down and sending Krillin crashing to the ground with a mighty crash. He managed to glance up long enough to see that Kami had passed out on the ground, and his charred, maimed form had reverted to it's natural proportions.

Recoome was shooting towars him, and despite the very visible damage to his body this freak didn't seem bothered in the slightest. Krillin had to end this quick, with a powerful and lethal attack... **"KAIOKEN TIMES FOUR!"**

The second after he yelled this out, he managed to reach Recoome and then swung his leg at the giant's neck with as much force as he could muster. A sickening snap rang out and Recoome's head jerked at an angle that his spine was never intended for...And then his lifeless body hit the water with a loud splash.

Krillin's aura faded, and he actually managed to look quite intimidating...For about five seconds before he gave a yelp of pain and rubbed at his leg "OW! What was that guys neck made out of?!"

"They...He killed Recoome?" Burter rasped in disbelief "I-I don't get it, the scouter says he should be nowhere near that strong, but his power level jumped up wildly before he attacked Recoome..." he muttered.

"I ah...I think we might be a bit out of our depth mate..." Jeice said, slowly entering a fighting stance.

Everyone paused then, the Z-Warriors sensed two large ki signatures enter the atmosphere "Wh-whoa..." Yamcha said once he felt the awe-inspiring strength of the two power levels. Curious, Jeice and Burter tried to detect the new powers with their scouters...which promptly exploded from what they detected.

"Kak..a...rot..." Kami said in a weak, cracked tone.

There was a tense silence, which lasted for no longer than a minute before the two figures were suddenly in the air above both groups. Kakarot surveyed the destruction with a senzu bean in his fingers, while Raditz gripped the hilt of Yajirobe's katana while glaring down at the two remaining Ginyu Force members. "Th...They're fast. Maybe e-even faster than you Burter..." Jeice murmured.

"Master Kami!" Kakarot gasped out, quickly landing beside his wounded mentor. He pushed a senzu bean into his mouth, and quick as a flash Kami's arm grew back in, and he hopped back up onto his feet, good as new.

"Thank you Kakarot, you made it just in time." Kami said, clapping a hand down on his adopted son's shoulder, giving him a small squeeze.

Tien kept briefly glanced Kami's way "Good to see you two. Sorry to say that one of Frieza's men ran off with the Dragon Balls...I think you two should be easily able to take him though. How on earth did you get so strong?"

"Training together in 100 times gravity." Raditz said bluntly, not looking away from Burter and Jeice for even a moment.

"Hey Kami" Krillin said "That giant size-changing thing you did was pretty cool. How did you do it?" the bald monk asked, tilting his head slightly.

"Size changing...? I don't...Don't really recall..." Kami mumbled. He thought he blacked out as soon as Recoome flung him into the ground and left him embedded in the ground like a vegetable ready to be plucked.

"Those two...Enemies?" Kakarot asked, pointing toward Jeice and Burter, who seemed to wince just from Kakarot pointing at them. Kami nodded, and Kakarot moved past him. He moved faster than Jeice and Burter could perceive, and suddenly he was standing mere inches from both of them. "Gentlemen, I am a reasonable man. Surrender now, and you'll be granted the gift of mercy."

Jeice and Burter exchanged nervous glances, and decided to test to see how strong the Guardian really was. The duo yelled in unison and drove their fists into Kakarot's face with enough force to send tremors across the nearby area. Kakarot wasn't budged an inch.

The Saiyan gave a loud yell, launching the two Ginyu force away with a small kiai. Jeice and Burter looked shocked...They hit him full force at the same time, and did zero damage to him. "I'll repeat myself for the last time. Surrender, and you will be shown mercy."

The red and blue aliens exchanged worried glances again, an then both bowed before the Saiyan. "A-Alright mate, let's all be cool here." Jeice pleaded.

"Very good." Kakarot said, allowing himself to smile "Now then, I've spoken to King Kai a few times on the way over, and despite his pleas for me not to risk fighting him...I'm going to try. Someone has to stand in his way to stop him gaining immortality."

"I'm not a fan of fighting him either, but I don't want him gaining that sort of longevity." Raditz said "Nor do I want Vegeta to get it either...Has he been on this planet?"

"Dead." Kami replied flatly.

"By...You?" Raditz asked. Kami nodded in response. "Well...That's impressive. How did you guys get so much stronger?"

"Magic fruit." Tien replied.

"Makes...sense I guess. Look, if they have the balls, then someone should give me the radar. I'll scout out ahead and see if I can get them back." said Raditz. Krillin fumbled about in his gi and pulled the radar from under his sash. He promptly threw it to Raditz who effortlessly caught it "Okay...If they've summoned the dragon, I'll do everything I can to stop Frieza speaking his wish. You guys heal up and get some of that magic fruit." With that, Raditz started leaping from island to island, following the radar to his prize.

"Now then...Would you gentlemen care to lead me to your ship? It has been a month since I saw Bulma." Kakarot remarked. He paused and glanced to Jeice and Burter "And you two are coming with us." he said sternly.

"Y-Yes sir!" Burter replied hastily.

* * *

"I...Don't understand...Why the hell aren't these damn Dragon Balls working?!" Frieza spat, glaring at the orange spheres. Ginyu trembled slightly at Frieza's anger...Had he done his job wrong?

Then a sudden realisation seemed to come over Frieza "Wait...A Namekian once told me I wouldn't be able to get my wish...I thought he was just bitter. But...A formula, that's it! There must be some sort of formula or password to get the wish to work..."

"Are there any Namekians left to tell you the secret?" Ginyu asked.

"There must be, my men didn't go to the villages where two of these balls are, maybe I'll find someone there..." Frieza said, rapidly tapping his scouter and adjusting the settings to only home in on Namekian energies.

"Aha, there. Three of them clustered together. Excellent." Immortality was so close, and the prospect tasted soooo good.

"Then allow me to go forth Lord Frieza, I'll force them to talk." Captain Ginyu said, grinning from ear to ear.

Frieza gave a soft chuckle and lowered himself into his bubble chair "No no, I should be the one to go. I want you to stay here and guard the balls...I've had enough of thieves getting their grubby mitts all over my balls."

Ginyu suppressed his laughter and hastily bowed to hide his hysterical expression. And he kept bowed until Frieza was well out of range, before he burst out laughing. "Oh goodness...I need to write that down and tell it to the men later..."

The purple alien stood there for a few moments until his scouter beeped to life and suddenly exploded off his face. He turned swiftly and saw a long haired Saiyan dashing straight toward him, his brilliant blade gleaming in the light of Namek's suns.

* * *

A/N: Kakarot and Raditz have made their return, but Frieza is on his way to learn how to gain his immortality. Will the Z-warriors learn the secret to Namek's Dragon Balls before it's too late?

**Power Levels:**

- Kami (Injured, Partial Giant Namek): 60,200

- Kakarot: 122,000

-Raditz: 121,200


	16. Discovery

"Kakarot!" Bulma exclaimed once the spiky-haired Saiyan landed at the entrance of the cave, followed by Krillin, Kami, Tien, Yamcha...And two alien guys who she never saw before. They certainly seemed nervous enough, for whatever reason...

"It's been too long Bulma." Kakarot sad, grinning at the turquoise-haired woman and moving toward her. Before he could do anything else, Bulma had gripped the sides of his head and pulled him down to meet her lips, letting their mouths mingle for a few moments before pulling back.

Bulma maintained her smile for a few moments before scowling at the Saiyan "A whole month. Couldn't you have recovered quicker?" she asked. This caused Kakarot to laugh sheepishly and look at his feet, mumbling an apology. She glanced back to the group and realised one of their members was missing "Where's Raditz?"

"He's off trying to retrieve Namek's Dragon Balls...They uh...Got stolen. Again."

"Yeah that figures." Bulma said with a small roll of her eyes. "And...Who are those two guys you brought with you?"

Kakarot glanced to Jeice and Burter who stood as rigid as statues in fear of the Saiyan and his cohorts "Frieza defectors. I've spared them from death."

Bulma tilted her head to one side in a confused fashion "And you're sure we can trust them?"

The Saiyan gave a shrug "I can stop 'em pretty easily if they try anything. So can the others in fact. Relax." Kakarot replied.

"If you say so." Bulma replied. She seemed to trail off, quietly mulling something over in her head "L-Listen Kakarot, there's something I need to talk to you about in private, away from the others." she replied, her hands gripping Kakarot's own and squeezing them tight.

Kakarot tilted his head and then shrugged his strong shoulders "Okay then. Guys keep an eye on Jeice and Burter." he said, before moving to leave the cave.

Kami reached for a wood box on the cave floor and then pulled out a glowing, spiky orange fruit "Wait my boy, take this. You'll need all the strength you can get to handle Frieza if we come to blows with him." Kami explained, tossing the fruit to Kakarot who quickly caught it. "How we got it is...A long messy story."

"If you say so." the Guardian replied, pushing the fruit to his lips and biting it clean in half with a single chomp, chewing the Might Fruit into mush. His muscles rippled for a second, and the ground cracked under his feet. "Phew! What a rush! Thanks Kami! Okay, anyway, let's get to talking Bulma." He nodded to his allies and then he and Bulma took a seat outside the cave "So what's on your mind?"

* * *

Captain Ginyu managed to roll away in time to dodge the downward slash of Raditz' stolen blade, the arc of purple ki carried by the slash flew until it cleaved a distant boulder in half. Ginyu was quick to his feet, and he promptly charged forth and slammed his elbow into Raditz' jaw, sending him tumbling backward.

Raditz righted himself and jammed Yajirobe's katana forth once Ginyu charged him again, the katana cutting the captain above the hip, tearing through armour and flesh, sending a splatter of purple blood across the gleaming reinforced steel of the blade.

Ginyu managed to moved back before Raditz could stab him again, and a quick explosive bolt of purple ki from his eyes sent the once low-class warrior sailing backward, his blade escaping his grasp and rolling into the long blue grass. Raditz himself collided against one of the metal legs of Frieza's saucer with an eching *CLANG* but was quick to get to his feet, brushing the soot off the red plates of his armour.

"You're a Saiyan, aren't you?" Ginyu growled, dropping into his fighting stance.

"Master of observation, aren't you?" Raditz mocked "What gave me away, my tail?"

"Oh, a funny monkey. How the hell have I never seen you around before?" Ginyu asked. That caused a twitch of anger to play on Raditz features.

The Saiyan managed to smirk and then dashed at the Captain, and while the alien managed to raise his guard raditz struck with such force that Ginyu lost his footing and thus Raditz next strike sent Ginyu soaring further from the Dragon Balls and smashing head first into the remains of the boulder Raditz had previously sliced up.

"You probably have seen me in the past, Ginyu. But you ikely don;t remember me because I was a nobody compared to Nappa and Vegeta..." he trailed off "I was always a laughing stock in Frieza's army, everyone bossing me around...Well who's the boss now?" he asked, before launching himself at Ginyu again.

Several of the few remaining soldiers on Frieza's craft moved to the purple windows of the craft, watching in awe as the fabled Captain Ginyu seemed to be having trouble dealing with the attacks of some long-haired Saiyan ape.

Their fists collided and sent shockwaves across the land, ripping up the ground beneath them. Raditz gave a yell and drove his other fist upward, jerking Ginyu's head to one direction and sending a sputter of spit through the air. He went for another strike but Ginyu righted himself just in time to kick Raditz in the side, sending him rocketing across the murky green sea before he managed to right himself and land onto a sea stack across from Frieza's flying saucer.

Raditz gave a grunt and stood up fully, touching at his side "Ginyu...You hit like a bitch."

* * *

Nail scowled, leaning against the white walls of Guru's palace. "He's finally found us Lord Guru." the last Namekian warrior replied, folding his arms over his chest. Frieza was coming their way like a comet, set to destroy whatever was unfortunate enough to be in it's path. "He'll be here any moment now."

Guru seemed silent, then he slowly reached for Dende beside his throne. He placed his giant hand atop Dende's head, and the Namekian child was soon wreathed in a white aura once Guru unlocked his potential. "Dende, with your unlocked potential you should be able to rendezvous with the humans quick enough. They'll need your help, go, hurry!"

Dende gave a weak nod "P-Please don't die Guru!" he pleaded. With that he dashed off and flew away with a trail of white ki, flying straight past Frieza. A mere child, not worth the bother of destroying...Or so he thought.

"I wonder...Will I die before I'm killed, or be killed before I die?" the elderly Namekian died. By his own estimation, it seemed he'd die of old age in the span of a Namekian day.

A few moments passed, and then Frieza's bubble chair landed just outside Guru's white palace. Nail stepped through the door, and his harsh gaze locked onto Frieza's smirking visage "What do you want?"

"Straight to the point eh? I like that. I am Lord Frieza, ruler of most of the North Galaxy. I seek to use your Dragon Balls, and while I have all seven the damn things won't grant my wish. So tell me, my green friend, how will I make them work?"

Nail's face hardened, and his whole body seemed to tense before he answered "Leave this place now, before I make you leave."

A small titter of laughter passed Frieza's lips "Come now my green friend. If you thought yourself any match for me, why would you be standing around here while I slaughtered your kin en masse?" that look or rage flashing onto Nail's face was almost delicious to the icy tyrant. "Now then. There is another Namekian in there, so if you are unwilling to talk I will simply kill you and beat the answers I need out of him."

Nail gave a low growl "The Namekian in there is the Grand Elder Guru of Namek, the father of all those you slaughtered and the creator of the Dragon Balls. If he dies, the balls die with him."

"Is that so?" Frieza asked. He took his scouter off the side of his head and a bolt of energy escaped his eyes, exploding against the wall and leaving a gaping hole in the Guru's home and exposing the portly old Namek. "Well, he certainly is different to normal Namekians." _'Bloody fat bastard.'_

He was quick to speak again "Now then Elder, I don't suppose you'll willingly give me the information I want? If you keep tight lipped, I'll simply have to beat the tar out of your guardian until you talk." Frieza spat.

"Nail isn't as weak as you think." The Guru replied, still incapable of opening his eyes "He's the strongest warrior left on Namek, you won't defeat him." while Frieza couldn't sense it, the two Namekian's exchanged a telepathic message _'Nail, I need you to buy as much time as possible for the humans.'_

_'Of course, Lord Guru.'_ Nail replied, his gaze still locked on Frieza.

Frieza gave a vicious smirk and glared at Nail "Ho ho, so you think you're strong? You must be quite stupid to think you can beat me. You'll regret keeping your silence when I return your bodyguard's corpse to you, piece by mangled piece."

Nail took the death threats in stride "Lord Guru is extremely weak, I'd rather not risk his health by fighting you here. Follow me." With that, Nail's aura kicked in and he flew off, Frieza quick to follow after him.

"Nail...Please buy Dende and the humans as much time as possible. They are our only hope." Guru mumbled sleepily.

* * *

Kakarot gave a small exhale, watching his reflection slowly shimmer in the murky green water "And...You've taken the test and everything?" he asked.

Bulma nodded slowly "Y-yeah. I brought some with me before I got on the ship, and I used them. Tests confirmed it, I'm pregnant." she admitted. A silence fell over the two...This wasn't the biggest concern, what with the genocidal space emperor flying about Namek, but this was certainly shocking news.

"Look..." Bulma said suddenly, breaking the silence "I know you have alot of responsibilities since you have to guard Earth and everything, so I'm not going to pressure you into being a father b-"

Kakarot cut her short, pressing a finger to her soft lips "Bulma, relax." he said softly. "It's my duty to protect and watch every living thing on Earth. If a living thing on Earth is my own flesh and blood, then how would I look if I didn't devote more love and attention to them?"

"S-so you'll help me raise our child?" she asked, slightly surprised.

"But of course." Kakarot replied "As best I can, I mean. I have no real experience raising children." The Saiyan shrugged "But I have a duty to do, if I helped create them then it's only right I help raise them."

Before the Saiyan could say anything else, Bulma tightly gripped his white gi and pulled him in, kissing him with a long pent-up passion. This was one of the few things the Saiyan would freely admit to being better than fighting.

* * *

A trio of fast, powerful punches to the face sent Raditz crashing to the ground, tumbling against the grass before managing to skid to a complete halt.

He glared up at Ginyu, just as the Captain gave a loud yell and launched a purple energy wave straight at Raditz. "Hehe...Here's a present!" Raditz yelled, a crackling orb or purple ki forming in his palm. He flung it upward, and it collided against Ginyu's energy wave. The few soldiers by Frieza's mothership watched in fear as the two blasts or energy clashed and shook the world beneath them, the soldiers fearful that the combined force would destroy Namek.

A loud yell escaped Raditz' lips, and he increased the force behind his ki sphere, pushing it upward and gradually overpowering Ginyu's energy wave "I-Impossible!" Ginyu exclaimed. The explosion caused by the collison enveloped Ginyu in a white hot explosion, and the injured Captain tumbled through the air.

Suddenly Raditz was behind him, and he promptly drove his knee into Ginyu's lower back "HA. Frieza's greatest warrior, little more than a punching bag compared to me now!" Raditz said with a manic cackle. He went to drive his fist down again, but Ginyu managed to narrowly dodge the strike.

His purple fist struck the Saiyan in the nose, causing a sputter of blood to pass Raditz' nose. With his free hand, Ginyu formed an orb of red energy and smashed it against Raditz' chest, the explosion ripping the Saiyan's crimson armour away and burning his skin.

Before Ginyu could make another strike, Raditz charged forth and drove his shoulder into the horned alien's ribs. Ginyu gagged in agony, and the force of the charge sent him hurtling downward several dozen metres, stopping just short of the water. Raditz grinned wickedly and raised both hands above his head, a crackling ball of ki forming above each of his fingertips. "WEEKDAY BLITZ!" the long-haired Saiyan yelled, throwing his arms forth and sending an indigo bolt of ki flying from each of his fingers.

The name of the attack certainly seemed to be a fitting one, each of the ten bolts forming a large explosion wherever it struck. The eplosive force behind Raditz new technique launched Ginyu up into the air again, and the injured Captain rolled about before landingon the blue grass near the Dragon Balls. "Ngh...Got no choice...got to use my ace in the hole." Ginyu mumbled.

He watched as Raditz landed, lifting his glinting sword up off the grass. The Captain got to his feet and stood shakily, glaring at Raditz. "Change..." Ginyu growled, his body starting to glow yellow "N-"

Raditz ran him clean through the stomach with his blade. Ginyu must have been more damaged than he thought, never even saw Raditz move. "There was plenty of talk in the barracks that you were a body-swapper, but I was never all that sure how true that was. Quite glad I didn't dismiss the possibility, otherwise you'd be surfing around in my body."

Ginyu sputtered up blood, his iris' shrunk down to tiny dots. He seemed unable to make any sort of reply right now. Then again, that tended to happen when one had a samurai sword lodged in their chest. "Here's the good news Ginyu. Right now, you can change bodies with a corpse." the long-haired Saiyan remarked. He swiftly yanked the sword out of Ginyu's stomach, an then a casual kick knocked Ginyu into the ocean.

Raditz winked at the stunned soldiers pressed against the windows. He curled his tail around the hilt of the blood drenched katana, lifted the Dragon Balls up with telekinesis, and then he was flying off again. _'Kakarot, I've got the Dragon Balls with me...Be a good little brother and get me a Senzu tonic would ya? My chest is completely cooked here.'_

* * *

A/N: With the Ginyu's dealt with, the Z-Fighters have the Dragon Balls back again, and somone is on the way to help them use the spheres. But can Nail buy enough time for the Z-Fighters to make some wishes and render the spheres inert? Probably, yes.

**Power levels (Only one new Power Level this chapter I'm afraid):**

Kakarot (Tree of Might): 366,000


	17. Tyrant's Wrath

Kakarot had kindly asked Bulma to wait at the ship and then the Z-fighters had started flying off to meet up with Raditz, Burter and Jeice awkwardly stuck in-between most of the warriors. As they flew Dende was quick to meet up with them and Kakarot made sure to introduce himself and explain the situation involving the Ginyu Force and the Dragon Balls.

When they found Raditz he had landed atop one grassy mesa, the balls set down into a ring. Well not a perfect ring, they occasionally rolled about, which frustrated the long-haired Saiyan as he put everything into order.

"Having fun?" Kakarot asked, a smirk on his face as he landed before his sibling.

"Oh haha, very fu- What the hell, how is your power level so high all of a sudden?!" Raditz exclaimed. As he spoke, Dende spotted all his burns and bruises, so he floated forth and stuck his hands out, glowing waves of healing energy healing up Raditz' injuries. A pleasant surprise.

Kami threw the remaining Might Fruit, which Raditz was quick to catch. "It tripled my power level when I ate it. It's awesome!" Kakarot exclaimed.

"I kinda wish I trained more before I ate mine." Krillin remarked, frowning.

Once Dende finished healing his wounds up, Raditz bit into the fruit. His exposed muscles ripples and shattered the ground directly beneath his feet from the sudden explosion of force. "W-whoa...With power like this, I might just be able to last against Frieza!" He glanced to Dende and then to Kakarot "Who's the kid?"

"Dende." Kakarot replied "He knows the password to summon Porunga." while he spoke, the Namekian child was busily arranging the balls into the correct pattern, and glanced to Kakarot from over his shoulder.

"Are you ready for me to summon him?" he asked.

"Yes. We'll need to act quickly and make our wishes before Frieza catches on." Kakarot replied.

Dende nodded and took a quick, deep breath. The balls gave a small orange glow and Dende raised his hands to the heavens **"TAKKARAPUTO POPPORUNGA!"**

* * *

Another brutal punch to the face and Nail was sent staggering backward clutching his black eye. True to his word, Frieza was only fighting with one hand...One hand which had covered Nail's body with so many bruises that he looked more purple than green.

"Honestly, why continue to torture yourself?" Frieza asked, casually skidding back to avoid a punch from Nail, before lunging forth and striking Nail across the cheek with enough force to send the Namekian sprawled out flat on his stomach. "I mean really, with a pathetic power level like that,why do you persist in fighting the most powerful being in the universe? You can't hope to beat me."

His tail snaked under Nail's body and gave a lazy flick, rolling the Namekian onto his back with a small gasp of pain. "Not...trying to beat you..." Nail grunted out weakly.

Frieza smirked, his red eyes staring down at the battered Namekian "Oh, what was that? You'll have to speak up I'm afraid."

A small, cracked laugh escaped Nail's mouth, and he managed to contort the bruised muscles of his face into a smile "Trying...to stall...you..." he grunted out. He'd try to spit, but it was painful enough just to make the smile on his face.

"Stall me?" Frieza asked, pressing a foot down on one partiularly large bruise on Nail's chest, making him sputter in pain. "And why would you try to do that...?"

Nail grit his teeth and glared up at Frieza defiantly "Because the humans...have the password to summon the dragon."

The sky blackened over all of Namek and the realisation made Frieza stagger backward "No...You son of a bitch!" Frieza spat, shattering the earth as his purple aura flared to life. He tapped his scouter and then flew off, while Nail gave a pained laugh.

"Lord Guru...I only hope gave them the time they needed..."

* * *

The great Dragon floating in the sky stunned the group into silence. Porunga, the dragon of dreams, a giant hulking figure with rippling muscular arms, a crocodilian snout, ebony spikes protruding from his shoulders and skull, and antennaeakin to the Namekians who created him. "He's...so much different than Shenron..."

"The Dragons are aspects of a much grander and more powerful entity. The aspect you take from that entity when creating the Dragon Model, can resemble whatever form the creator wishes." Kakarot explained.

"Can we hurry this up...?" Tien asked, glancing to the horizon "I sense something powerful coming right toward us..." he added.

Dende cleared his throat and spoke up "You have three wishes, but I should warn you beforehand that if you want to resurrect someone, Porunga can only do it to one person at a time."

Raditz managed to stop gawking at the hulking dragon in the sky above them and then said "Tell him to resurrect Chi Chi here on Namek."

Dende translated the words to Namekian and then there was a brief silence before Porunga's eyes glowed brighter and he made an O-K gesture with his was a golden flash, and then standing before them was Chi Chi, wearing the same blue Chinese Dress she had on when Nappa offed her. "Well, looks like King Kai was right on the money." she said, fixing her black braid "By the way, that's one badass dragon."

"It's good to have you back." Raditz said, pulling Chi Chi in to embrace her, much to the smaller woman's surprise.

"Ah...Thanks man." Chi Chi murmured, flushing bright red and leaning against Raditz. Kakarot stepped up to Dende next to give the second wish.

"Dende, resurrect the man called Yajirobe here on Namek. We need all the help we can get if Frieza is coming our way." Kakarot remarked. Dende gave a nod and translated the wish into Namekian. Porunga made the same gesture and another gold flash struck the ground. The tubby samurai stepped forth in the same garb, a grimace on his face.

He strode forth and caught his sword by the hilt once Raditz tossed it his way and then quickly said "Why did you guys have to pull me into this mess?" Despite his complaining, both he and Chi Chi had grown vastly stronger under King Kai's teaching. At base power, they seemed pretty damn close to Jeice and Burter's level.

"Okay um...third wish...Money?" Yamcha suggested. Tien punched him in the arm. However before the group could think of anything else to wish for, Porunga simply vanished, the seven Dragon Balls floating in the air turning to stone and falling to the ground. The dark sky soon returned to it's normal green hue. "Wh-what happened?"

Dende gave a sigh and slumped to his knees "It's over. Lord Guru is dead, and Porunga with him..."

Kakarot crouched beside Dende and placed a hand on his shoulder "I'm sorry for your loss you man. But his death assured a victory for the galaxy. Frieza will never have his immortalty."

It was Raditz who spoke up next "Yeah, that's right. Now let's get out of here before Frieza-"

"Before Frieza...what?" an icy voice interjected. Everyone glanced to the sky, and there floating above them was the tyrant himself, his face barely containing it's rage. "No no, by all means...Give me some ideas..." he hissed, landing before the group who all dropped into their fighting stances. His gaze settled on Kami "Well, another Namekian. Even stronger than the supposed warrior I just knocked the tar out of?"

"W-what?!" Kami spat "What did you do to Nail?!"

Frieza ignored the question and scanned over the group "I'm rather disappointed. Not just because my wish was stolen. Not just because my hard work was subverted...but because of the three traitors I see before me." Jeice, Burter and Raditz all tensed up "I'm very upset with you three, siding against me of all people. Well, you'll be thoroughly disciplined...with death."

"N-no, Lord Frieza, you don't understand, it's not what you th-" Jeice attempted to plead, only to fall silent at Frieza's stern gaze.

"So this is Frieza huh?" Chi Chi said, crossing her arms "For all the fuss King Kai made about him when we were training, he doesn't seem so tough." Chi Chi muttered.

"Oh? Is that so?" Frieza said, tapping his scouter and scanning Chi Chi "Forty-Five thousand? Hmph, you're in no position to gloat."

Chi Chi entered her ox-stance, and the air seemed to shimmer with heat around her "I'll show you just how powerful I am. I'm alot stronger than I was when I faced your Saiyan whipping boys...Kaioken times ten!" she roared, a red aura of ki. Suddenly her skin started to turn red and her veins popped up, and it was clear she was using her Ox Charge in conjunction with her Kaioken. Frieza's scouter beeped loudly and simply exploded off his face before Chi Chi drove force and his him with a powerful punch, launching Frieza off his feet and cleabing through a neighbouring island.

Kami watched in awe, before coming to his senses and poking Dende "You need to get into cover Dende. If he knows we have a healer, he won't hesitate to kill you."

The Namekian child slowly nodded in response "W-what are you going to do Kami?" Dende asked.

"I'm going to go find Nail..." Kami growled, before flying off while Frieza fought off Kakarot, Raditz and Chi Chi.

Chi Chi's skin had lost it's red hue as her Ox Charge wore off, but she was still keeping pace with Frieza, smashing him repeatedly in the face with powerful kicks. Raditz and Kakarot flanked his sides, and the tyrant was having trouble using all his limbs to fend off all the attacks, the occasional glancing blow breaking his guard and striking his body.

Growing enraged, Frieza released a telekinetic pulse that shoved his foe's back and gave him some breathing room. he shot forth and drove his fist into Chi Chi's stomach, knocking her out of Kaioken and winding her. He whipped her across the face with his tail with enough force to knock her down into the ocean.

Frieza lunged at Raditz and Kakarot, deflecting and parrying their blows with much greater ease. "Worthless Saiyan monkey!" he yelled out, blasting Raditz across the chest with a searing hot eye beam, followed by a flurry of punches that sent the long-haired Saiyan crashing into a small island.

Kakarot dashed forth and hit Frieza across the cheek with a staggering punch that sent him back a few metres, and then delivered a swift roundhouse to the small tyrant's face while he was still staggered from the last punch.

Just as Kakarot went to deliver another kick, Frieza quickly caught his foot and held it in place with his superior physical strength "You seem rather familiar..." Frieza remarked.

"You're probably thinking of my father! The man you murdered!" Kakarot yelled, still trying to wrench his leg from Frieza's grasp. The tyrant rolled his eyes slowly.

"Oh great, another person looking to avenge their father. As if I don't get enough of those every single week." Frieza said dryly, spinning Kakarot by the leg and flinging him into the ground with enough force to form a deep crater on impact.

"Still..." Frieza trailed off, watching Chi Chi and Raditz regrouping with Kakarot "If you want to challenge me, then let me make this an actual challenge." he trailed off and removed his heavily cracked purple battle armour, dumping the broken gear into the sea. "You monkies should feel honoured, you're about to see my second form..."

* * *

"Damnit Nail...Where are you...Your ki signature is so faint..." Kami muttered to himself as he flew along the familiar landscape of Namek. From the distance he could sense his allies battling against Frieza, and the random fluctuations in their ki. Frieza's ki was growing fast, practically doubling, he was almost at the one million mark...how the hell could they compete with that?!

Finally he spotted Nail, saw the crumpled figure laying in the tall blue grass. God he looked awful, bruised on every part of his body. "Kami...I wish we could have met again under better circumstances..." he said weakly when Kami landed beside him.

"Frieza really did a number on you...Just hold still, I'll carry you to Dende and get you healed u-" Nail cut him short by slowly lifting his hand.

"C-can't move Kami. I'm in rough shape, move me too much and it'll only get worse...And in the time it'll take for you to bring Dende here, I'll likely have bled out fully...Listen to me Kami, you know full well of our people's fusion technique..." tears formed in Nail's undamaged eye, running down his badly bruised face "I want you to add my power to your own...and use it to kick that sick bastard's ass..."

Kami's breath hitched slightly "Nail...You have to understand that if I absorb you, I can't ever free you again. You'll be trapped in my body till the day I die."

Nail gave a grunt and held his bloodied hand out to Kami "Damn you...Just respect my last wish. I know full well what's going to happen, and I don't care! Someone has to stop him, and if I can help in any way then I want to!"

The older Namekian was hesitant for a moment, before reaching out to Nail "This is a very brave thing you're doing." he replied, clasping his hand around Nail's.

Nail gave a grunt of pain, his whole body starting to glow white "Let's hope it's enough...I'll keep your evil side in check, I promise..." there was a flourish and Nail's whole body turned into white energy, which was promptly sucked into Kami's body which grew slightly taller and more muscular as the other Namekian was integrated into his body.

"I'll never forget you Nail. And I'll put your power to good use." Kami said, taking in the sheer power Nail had given him. His aura flared up, and he promptly flew skyward.

* * *

"Well...What do you think of my second form?" Frieza asked, glaring down at the fearful faces of the Z-fighters, his voice noticeably deeper and harsher. While Frieza's first form had it's immense strength, it's diminutive stature made it seem less of a threat...Now Frieza had a mountainous frame to match his high power. His two elongated horns glinted in the pale light "The last I checked, my power in this form is one million." he added, to the shock and horror of those around him.

"That's...Impossible!" Raditz spat, glaring up at the lord of the galaxy.

"Really...?" Frieza asked, his purple lips curling up into a smile "Well why don't you come and find out how strong my second form is?"

Chi Chi gave a yell of rage, a blazing red aura of her x10 Kaioken shooting up off her body. She flew straight at Frieza as fast as she could, only to be casually swatted aside. He started moving at an inhuman speed, repeatedly kicking Chi Chi around through the air like a ragdoll. With a quick burst or purple energy he struck the injured human in the back and carried her to the ground, catching her in a powerful explosion. Chi Chi was alive, breathing, but she seemed badly bruised and burned.

"You see? That female might have matched me in my first form, but now I'm twice her strength." Frieza growled out. Raditz gave an enraged yell and flung himself at Frieza, throwing punches and kicks as fast as he could...only for Frieza to block and parry every strike with one arm. When Kakarot shot forth to attack from the other side, the tyrant was blocking their two pronged attack with the same degree of ease.

Growing bored of this little game, Frieza quickly punched Raditz in the jaw with enough force to send him crashing into the sea, and then gave a casual backhand which launched Kakarot further up into the air.

Then, just when Kakarot righted himself in mid-air, Frieza lunged forth and skewered the Guardian on his long ebony horn, eliciting a high-pithed shriek of white hot agony from the Saiyan warrior, and a gasp of shock from the assembled warriors.

"Oh my apologies. These things are just so long and sharp...I'm always impaling people on them by 'accident.'" Frieza said, grinning at Kakarot's shocked expression. The Saiyan was bleeding out all over Frieza's horn and every motion just seemed to make the wound in his torso a little bit larger.

A spark of purple ki formed on his index and middle finger suddenly "Well then, I'll help blast you off then." From his vantage point on Frieza's horn, Kakarot could see Raditz dashing straight upward to save his younger brother. Without glancing backward, Frieza fired off the crackling finger beam, which struck Raditz in the chest and exploded against his bare flesh. "Wait your turn, impatient ape!" Frieza snarled, firing off several more of those explosive bolts in rapid succession, until Raditz hit the ground before the human warriors, unconscious.

Frieza grinned at the impaled Saiyan and blasted a tiny Death Beam through another part of Kakarot's torso, before flinging the bleeding Saiyanoff his horn and crashing to the ground directly before the stunned Z-Warriors. He raised an arm up high, charging up a large pink energy ball to deliver a coup de grace...

Only for a pair of intertwined red and blue energy waves to strike him in the back with a mighty explosion, scuffing up the white plates of Frieza's back. He spun around to see the source of the attack, and his eyes narrowed when he saw it was Jeice and Burter who launched the combined attack from behind on him.

"Oh I'll get to punishing you two eventually, don't you worry." Frieza said calmly. Quick as a flash he launched a purple energy wave from his palm, which explodedagainst the ground directly before the two warriors and sent them flying up into the sky from the concussive force behind the blast.

Frieza cracked his neck and gave a content sigh "Now then...Who's next?"

"Me." Kami said flatly. Frieza turned to the source of the voice, and was struck in the face with a kick so powerful that he was launched down through the air and crashing into a distant mesa which exploded into dust on impact.

"The last warrior of Namek."

* * *

A/N: The battle with Frieza gets into full swing with Kami taking on the tyrant. But as Frieza grows stronger, what trump cards will the Z-fighters pull to compete with his wrath? And can Kakarot and Raditz survive their wounds long enough to get back into the battle?

On an unrelated note, should I try make a Tropes page for this? I've never really made an article from scratch, but it could be pretty fun.

**Power Levels:**

Raditz (Tree of Might): 363,000

Chi Chi: 45,000

Yajirobe: 41,100

Chi Chi (Kaioken + Ox Charge): 540,000

Frieza (2nd form): 1,000,000

Kami (Fused with Nail): 1,500,000


	18. Outclassed

From the hidden alcove Krillin had guided him to, Dende busily worked his healing magic on Raditz and Kakarot in a desperate attempt to stabilize their conditions. The two holes in Kakarot's chest had close up by now, but he was still far from being fully healed up. Outside he could feel the shockwaves of the clash between Kami and Frieza, and he had to wonder...How safe was he, even if he was out of sight?

"Come on you two...We need you back on your feet... Dende pleaded.

* * *

Kami's fists repeatedly struck against Frieza's own, the Arosian lord growing more infuriated by the second. How was this Namekian matching him blow for blow?! None of the scans of Namek detected any power level near as high as this one!

A sudden blow to the gut and Frieza doubled over in pain, only for the lanky Namekian to elbow him between the shoulder blades and sent him smashing into the ground. Frieza flipped from the crater his enlarged body had formed, and he promptly glared up at Kami.

"Not so fun to be on the losing end of a beating, is it?" Kami mocked. Frieza's eye twitched with pure rage, and he lunged straight back at the Namekian.

Frieza gave a loud yell, swinging several kicks which Kami only narrowly dodged. The Namekian charged some ki into his fist and drove it forth, hitting Frieza in the face with a literally explosive hook that sent the tyrant reeling backward, one of his horns snapping in half from the explosion.

Frieza swerved to avoid another punch and then drove his knee into Kami's diaphragm, winding him and launching him a few feet back. Quickly, Frieza raised a hand up and fired off a barrage of Death Beams, each blast only striking an after-image and exploding against whatever it struck on the horizon. Finally Kami dove forth and kicked Frieza's chin, sending him spiralling back before he managed to correct himself.

They lunged at each other again, and there was a storm of punches and kicks exchanged between the two. While it seemed Kami held an advantage in the speed department, Frieza still got off a lucky punch that broke Kami's nose and sent a spray of purple blood over the tyrant's ivory knuckles.

Pressing his advantage, Frieza drove his fist as hard as he could into Kami's gut with enough force to wind him. A grin spread over his face "Well,why don't you tell me how fun it is now?" Frieza hissed. He spun around quickly and lashed Kami across the face with his tail, sending him over a dozen metres away.

Just as Frieza prepared a powerful orb or purple ki in his palm, Kami suddenly righted himself and fired off a shimmering gold energy wave. Frieza hastily blocked the strike, but the explosion of the impact still carried enough force to launch the Arcosian prince several dozen metres away, his white flesh scorched and scratched from the attack.

"You don't get it, do you? I figure that you, like the rest of your army, can't sense energy. You have no idea just how much I outclass you right now." Kami said, drifting upside down through the air, keeping his eyes locked on Frieza. "I could kill you any time I want to, but I want you to experience the same degree of pain and fear that you've inflicted on the people of Namek."

Suddenly, Frieza started to laugh, an awful cackle that struck fear into the hearts of the human warriors. "How noble of you." Frieza remarked "Of course, I've killed thousands of people blinded by their sense of nobility. People who wanted me to 'suffer'...When they had no concept of my true power." Slowly he raised a hand up, and Kami braced himself for the possibility of a ki attack. Frieza raised two fingers up into a peace-sign "Right now, you see my 2nd form, I have two more transformations I can make. You may have the upper hand for now, but only because you're dealing with a fraction of my might."

Frieza dropped into a fighting stance and suddenly the air around him crackled with his power "You should feel honoured, so few have ever seen my third form!" By the time Kami realised Frieza's intention it was too late. He dove at Frieza, intent on hitting him with all is might, only for a shockwave of ki lashing him away and keeping him backward.

The Arcosian's whole body began to contort and become more deformed. His head elongated into a strange sausage-shape with multiple ivory horns on the back, his nose left his face and his lips grew larger, long spikes grew from his back, his shoulers sprouted two large shoulderpads and his power...and worst of all, his power level seemed to triple.

"Now then...Let me show you how hopeless your fight with me is." Frieza hissed, his voice now deeper in tone. He dashed forth and slammed his heel into Kami's elbow with enough force to break his arm. Kami yelled and dashed back, clutching the broken limb, while Frieza looked on with glee "How's that? Do you get it now?" he asked calmly. Kami's nostrils flared, and he quickly tore the broken arm off and regrew a fresh one in it's place. "Seen it." Frieza remarked casually.

Frieza backhanded Kami with enough force to send him soaring across the air, and then suddenly he was behind Kami again, lashing him downward with is tail. He continued zipping around, pinballing Kami through the air, before spiking him toward the ground with a ki-charged punch.

Kami's body was sent hurtling down to the ground like a shooting star, and when he struck the ground he hit it with enough force to send tremors across the land. Hid body left a deep crater on impact, and he seemed to be struggling to stand.

"I believe I've made my strength advantage quite clear. And this is still so far from my maximum that it's not even funny." Frieza remarked calmly, aiming at the downed Namekian "Not that you'll live long enough to see that kind of power."

Suddenly, Frieza pivoted in mid-air to avoid a sword slash from a Kaioken-enhanced Yajirobe, who then proceeded to make a slash at the air which released a slice of ki. It struck Frieza in the tail and made him yell out in pain, the dismembered portion of his tail falling through the air and hitting the water with a splash. "Oh you are so dead..." Frieza seethed.

The Arcosian dashed forth, dodging slices and stabs from Yajirobe, and then he started hammering the fat samurai with punches and kicks, sending him staggering backward through the air.

While Yajirobe was getting the stuffing beaten out of him, Kami was lamenting his stupidity. "Damn it all...I should have known he was holding back..." Kami growled, tightly gripping the dirt beneath him. Suddenly, a voice spoke up in his mind _'Hey Kami, I found a technique here that your other side was trying to keep from you. Might give us our edge back...'_

"Nail...?" Kami asked slowly. _'He only let you tap into it when you lapsed in consciousness, but I beat the knowledge out of him. Try this.'_ Nail added, filling Kami's mind with the knowledge.

A powerful punch to his barrel-round gut and Yajirobe was knocked out of Kaioken and sent hurtling to the ground, striking the elevated ground with enough force to cave the earth in beneath him. "You disgusting fat bastard, you should have stayed out of my fight." Frieza growled, forming a crackling orb of black and red ki above his fingertip.

He flicked the ball at the downed Yajirobe, but it was suddenly intercepted by a red and orange blur several metres away from where Yajirobe lay. The explosion kicked up tremors and small tidal waves and sent a large wave of thick black fog into the air. Then, when the smoke began to clear away, there stood Yamcha in the heart of it. His gi was burnt up, his skin covered in dark scorches and bleeding wounds. "D-damn..." he grunted "Thought I...Would have been strong enough to take it..." he hissed, before falling forward and collapsing onto the ground. No breathing. He was dead.

"Yamcha!" Tien yelled. He should have done something, stop Yamcha from getting involved. Everyone else reacted in shock and horror at the bandit's demise...Save for Frieza, who just seemed bemused

"Oh, I missed. Oh well, you all look alike to me, so killing one of you is good enough."

"Sh-shit...That's gonna be us soon!" Burter stammered out. The self-proclaimed 'fastest fighter in the universe' sorely wished he could just run away now.

"Anyway." Frieza said, turning back toward Kami with the intent of killing the pesky slug. He gave a small gasp of surprise, seeing Kami's white aura flaring up, his body having pretty much doubled in size "Hm. You slugs are full of surprises, aren't you?"

Kami drove himself at Frieza and the two resumed their clash in the air, hammering each other with punches and kicks, sending shockwaves rippling across the ocean below them. Kami staggered Frieza backward with a powerful punch to the face, Kami himself was knocked downward by an elbow to the ribs, Kami swung both his heels up and dug them into Frieza's stomach... They seemed rather even.

Kami suddenly slammed his elbow into Frieza's jaw and sent him crashing down into the sea with a loud splash. He extended his green arm, channelled a large mass of golden ki and yelled out "GOD'S LIGHT!" as he fired the large ki blast into the murky waves.

The blast exploded in a violent flash of golden light, sending a massive vent of ki into the air and a small typhoon of water spiralling around. Frieza burst from the waves, burnt from the attacks but otherwise quite fine. He struck Kami's enlarged chest with a firm roundhouse, sending him hurtling down to the ocean.

Kami and Frieza resumed dashing at each other, moving so fast that the human warriors couldn't see their motions, each collision sending shockwaves tearing through the earth and tremors all over the landscape.

"Your new form is most impressive...In terms of power at least." Frieza cackled, tilting his elongated head to avoid a blow from Kami. He swung in the air and delivered a firm chop to Kami's ribs, snapping two on impact, making Kami howl in agony "But it does make you a much larger target."

Frieza dashed backward and started rapidly firing off bolts of purple ki from his finger tips, eac shot tearing and cutting int Kami's flesh wherever it hit, making Kami stagger backward through the air while Frieza cackled like a madman.

Meanwhile, Raditz eyes popped open and he saw Dende tending to both himself and Kakarot. "Ah...Was I injured that bad...?" he asked aloud. Dende gave a nod in response.

"Things are getting really bad out there. Frieza killed your friend, the one with the scars on his face, and now he's beating Kami. I can sense it all going on outside." Dende said, focusing on the slowly healing scars.

"I see...Well you focus on healing Kakarot. If he recovers from those wounds, the Zenkai will be massive." Raditz grunted, getting to his feet. No sense mourning Yamcha right now, not with Frieza right outside intent on killing them all. As he ran from the alcove and moved toward his allies a few islands away, he saw Frieza kick the bloodied up Kami into the ground where he laid unconscious.

"You've all provided me with such lovely sport, that I think I'll treat you before I kill you all." Frieza remarked, tapping his chin. "Allow me to show you my full splendour..." he hissed, a purple aura flaring across his slightly injured body and shaking the world below.

"W-what the hell is he doing?!" Raditz gasped, shocked by Frieza's massive increase in ki. His energy seemed limitless, growing and growing with every seconds, the exposed sinews on Frieza's body flashing white from his energy.

"He's going to transform again." Jeice said sternly, watching the chaos unfold, the panic in the skies "And unless you have a trump card, we're screwed!" he yelled at the other humans.

"As it happens, I just might." Chi Chi replied, crossing her bruised arms over her chest "There was another technique that I begged King Kai to teach me: the Spirit Bomb. It draws on the life energy of all things in the universe, forming a powerful mass of energy that's lethal to evil beings. The problem is, this thing takes a while to prepare. And to make a bomb powerful enough to end Frieza, you'd need to keep him busy for over ten minutes."

"Ten minutes, are you nuts?!" Krillin said, throwing his arms up "We're like ants to him, there's no way we can distract him."

There was a silence that fell over the group, watching Frieza's body warp and change, before Raditz spoke up "I know a way. But you'll need to get as far from me as possible and start gathering energy." he said sternly, his monkey tail unfurling from his waist while he spoke.

"What do you mean?" Tien asked, glaring at the tyrant rather than Raditz.

By this point, Frieza's entire body was glowing white hot from his growing power, his transformation nearing completion. "We Saiyans have a unique ability to transform into giant apes when we see a full moon, an ability that would magnify a persona power by a factor of ten."

"But there isn't a full moon." Krillin remarked, causing Raditz to roll his eyes.

"I know that, stupid. My father, Bardock invented a technique to let us transform without a moon. I've been afraid to use it in the past because when I get that way I can't control myself." Raditz explained. A ball of white light formed in his palm and he gave a low exhale "Get Kami away from here and prepare your attack. I'll hold Frieza off."

The humans dashed off to retrieve Yajirobe and Kami before making some distance from the battlefield. Raditz gave a long exhale and flng his fake moon into the sky. Just as it exploded and filled the sky with it's blutz waves, Frieza's aura exploded outward as he finished his transformation.

* * *

A/N: Next chapter, Frieza vs Great Ape Raditz! Will Raditz hold off Frieza long enough for Chi Chi to make the spirit bomb and for Kakarot to recover?

**Power Levels:**

-Frieza (3rd form): 3,200,000

-Kami (Half-Giant): 3,000,000

-Raditz (Post Zenkai): 1,300,000


	19. Last Ditch Effort

Frieza's final and strongest form was...odd looking. It wasn't monstrous like his last two forms, if anything it seemed vaguely...human. Well, there were some very obvious differences like the tail, his ivory flesh and the purple bio gems scattered upon his limbs and his head. He was shorter than his second and third forms to boot, really only little over foot taller than his first form.

At first glance he wouldn't appear too menacing, and yet...There was just something so unnerving about his newest form, his body giving off an aura of menace.

"Ah...It's been too long since I last got to stretch my legs in this form..."Frieza remarked, slowly opening his garnet eyes. His voice was now in a far smoother pitch, almost beguiling to hear. One wouldn't suspect him to be a genocidal alien at first glance. "Now...who shall be the first to test this body out for me?"

He glanced down and noticed it was only Raditz before him, his eyes fixed toward the sky. But, he certainly wasn't looking at Frieza. "Hellloooo? Monkey? I put my best suit on, the least you could do is pay some attention to me..." Growing irritated, Frieza looked up to where Raditz gaze was focused, an artificial moon glowing in the skies.

"Well, you're a cheeky monkey, aren't you..." Frieza said, glancing back to see Raditz' eyes had turned into two solid orbs of white, his fangs clenched together in a low growl and his muscles starting to ripple with power.

Hair was beginning to sprout all over Raditz steadily growing form, his trousers and boots stretching along with his slowly expanding form. "You'll make a nice big punching bag if nothing else..." Frieza growled, energy starting to build around his ivory body as his purple aura flared to life.

As Frieza powered up to 10% of his fourth forms power, Raditz whole body grew gigantic in size,changing into a massive hairy ape with a flowing black mane of hair on hi beast face and a thick monkey tail. Once Raditz fully transformed into an Oozaru, his dark shadow casting over Frieza's slender body, he gave a loud roar to the heavens and swung his fist at Frieza.

* * *

"Okay boys, I need you to keep watch for me. Those two could likely bring their battle out this way, and we can't afford to have this spirit bomb interrupted." Said Chi Chi, landing on one grassy mesa with the other warriors. They weren't too far from Dende's alcove, so they could save him too if need be.

Chi Chi removed her tattered red wrist bands and tossed them aside, the fabric causing small dents in the earth where they landed. She then fixed her black braid up and then raised her hands up above her head "Brace yourselves boys, you're about to see something awesome."

Her lithe body started to glow in an ethereal white light, shimmering and shaking around her feminine frame. "Grass...Sun...Trees...Share your energy with me..." Chi Chi said aloud, feeling tremors run across the landscape from the shockwaves from the clashes Frieza and the great ape in the distance.

The other warriors watched in awe, feeling the energy of life itself forming around Chi Chi. Immense power building into a brilliant blue ball miles above the earth. "Damnit all...this planet barely has enough energy after all the damage Frieza and his men have done to it...Guess I'll have to draw as much power as possible from the surrounding solar system." Chi Chi said, straining herself to draw ki from a greater distance. She needed this bomb to be way more powerful if she was going to do any harm to Frieza.

* * *

One of Raditz giant ape fists struck Frieza with an immense force, and it sent the Arcosian's body ragdolling away and crashing onto a distant island.

Frieza got to his feet and spat up some blood, before smirking at the Oozaru in the distance who was howling and flailing his hairy arms about. "Sorry, I think you'll need to hit harder. Barely felt that one."

He watched as Raditz howled and roared, before reaching down and ulling up a massive chunk of rock from the earth, raising it high above his head."Boulder toss, a favourite game among you Saiyan apes." Frieza remarked. Raditz flung the giant mound of rock across the green sea at a shocking speed, but Frieza made no effort to dodge or to block.

Instead, he quickly raised one arm up and released a telekinetic pulse that stopped the boulder mid-flight and split it into several large rock shards. Then another pulse of telekinesis and the shards were launched back at the Oozaru at a far greater speed, exloding to dust against his skin or tearing across his flesh with glancing blows. Raditz gave a pained howl and collapsed onto one knee, blood oozing off the fresh cuts on his arms.

Grinning to himself, Frieza flew across the murky green sea and then started dashing about Raditz, hammering him with more blows that sent him staggering back further with the superhuman force behind his attacks. Thinking with surprising quickness for an ape, Raditz clapped both his hands together and created a deafening shockwave that flung Frieza through the air, before catching Frieza in one giant hand, leaving his head uncovered.

"Ngh...Well then. You're not as moronic as you look." Frieza said slyly, before grunting in pain as the giant ape fist crushing down on his body made him growl from a steadily growing pain.

With a beastial, ape-like howl Raditz raised his fist up and then smashed Frieza into the ground with enough force to make a deep crater with his fist and send large fissures across the island they stood upon. Frieza endured the pain and narrowed his eyes, firing off two smouldering red waves of ki from his eyes that scorched Raditz's cheek.

The Oozaru gave a loud yowl of pain and released his grip on Frieza, staggering backward and clutching at his burnt face.

"Oh blast...I was aiming for your eye." Frieza said dryly, getting to his feet and rubbing the purple bruises that now marked his torso. "Well this has been a fun experience. But I think it's about time I show you just how outmatched you are."

As he spoke, Frieza pressed both his legs together and stretched both his arms out to his sides "Yes...50% of my power should be more than enough to snuff out a chimp like you." Frieza's purple aura flared up and started to shatter the ground even further beneath his feet. Raditz couldn't even get close enough to stop Frieza powering up, a shockwave of ki whipping Raditz backward whenever he got too close.

* * *

"No good...At this rate, Raditz is done for." Tien grunted out, watching and feeling Frieza's might skyrocketing "Is there no end to Frieza's power...?" the triclops asked.

Chi Chi gave an irritated growl. This damn Spirit Bomb was taking too long to charge,she couldn't let Raditz throw his life away for an attack that still lacked the power to stop Frieza. "Guys!" the Ox Princess yelled, drawing the attention of those around her "I need you to raise your hands up and share your energy into the Spirit Bomb, it'll speed the process up by a hell of alot."

"R-Right...I don't think we have enough power to harm Frieza right now, but we gotta try." Krilli replied, raising his arms up. Almost instantly, white and blue bubbles of ki started to flow from his raised up palms and into the massive Spirit Bomb in the sky.

Jeice gave a grunt "This is suicide! Nothing we do is gonna make a difference, Frieza's the most powerful being around."

Suddenly, Burter clasped a large scaly hand on Jeice's shoulders "We gotta try little buddy. We're gonna die anyway, but I want it known to the galaxy that I died fighting."

Jeice shook his head and fixed up his shaggy white hair "Oh fine...Worth a shot, eh mate?" he asked, raising his hands skyward alongside Burter. Their energy too began to rise up in blue and white bubbles of ki, heading upward.

Then Yajirobe turned from the injured, unconscious Kami and started to lend his energy to the spirit bomb, a sigh escaping his chubby lips "Aw man...I just got brought back to life and I'm gonna die again..."

Lastly, Tien raised his hands up high and started to send his energy up to the quickly growing Spirit Bomb. "This is our trump card...If this fails, all is lost." he muttered. Chi Chi was all too aware of the gravity of the situation.

"I'm not ready to die again just yet." the Ox Princess growled.

* * *

While Raditz might have been the most powerful Oozaru ever seen in the universe, and had a surprising degree of speed for a creature of his bulk, Frieza was still lazily dodging every strike and swipe being launched his way. And this was only 50% of his maximum power...

"Well...I think I've had all the fun I'm going to get out of you..." Frieza said flatly, before shooting his whole body like a bullet at the lumbering ape, striking him in the gut hard enough to make him double over. Then, with a powerful Telekinetic burst he sent Raditz hurtling upward with his head snapping upright from the force.

Frieza took off into the air after the Oozaru, his whole body crackling with ki. Suddenly Raditz' head snapped forward and a massive bolt of purple energy left his maw. Taken by surprise, the blast struck Frieza and he was sent yelling down toward the shattered island they had been fighting on earlier. The purple mouth blast gave a powerful explosion that eclipsed the entire island in a dome of heat and light and kicked up a large typhoon of green water.

As the tide began to settle over what had once been an island, the water sudddenly surged back once a very enraged Frieza started dashing skyward.

Frieza started zipping about the lumbering ape with such speed that he seemed invisible at times. He struck Raditz over and over in every limb, every portion of his hest, his face a few times, striking him like a pinball and breaking his share of bones in Raditz' enlarged body.

Finally, Frieza gave a lash of his tail and struck Raditz across the face with enough force to send him hurtling downward. He smashed onto one mesa which proceeded to collapse under the Oozaru's waist. And there he laid, too sore to find the strength to get up.

"I think we're done here. I'd ask for a battle of wits next but...Well to be frank, I doubt you're much more intelligent in your untransformed state." Frieza mocked, slowly floating downard with his arms crossed over his tyrant raised his finger up, a purple spark of ki forming on the ivory tip, and then with a quick swipe of his arm a purple slash of ki was sent soaring downward, slicing off Raditz oversized tail.

Raditz body began to revert to it's normal proportions, and once the thick black hair faded away he had several purple bruises marking his body and large dried globs of blood covering his skin. "F...Fuck...Can't do anything right..." he hissed, trying to stand up fully.

"You know something, if you had this kind of power when you were in my employ, you could be living in some opulent palace on your own personal planet, my gift to a valued soldier." Frieza replied, landing beside the prone Saiyan and placing his three-pronged foot on one particularly dark welt n his ribs, making Raditz hiss in pain "And what do you do...? You, like so many others who are long dead, think that a little boost in strength gives you the right to overthrow me. Me! You monkey's are always so ungrateful. I did myself quite a favour by blowing up your damn planet."

Frieza leaned down, smirking at Raditz "Oh? Did I not tell you that before? Well I'm telling you now. I blew up Planet Vegeta, and I quite liked it." his foot pressed down on Raditz' bruised torso making him hiss and gag up some blood "Pathetic. I can see the rage in your eyes, but what are you going to do about it? That's the Saiyan race in a nutshell I suppose, all flash and no substance..." he trailed off and spotted the faint shadows of Raditz allies in the distance.

The Arcosian prince's smirk just grew more twisted "You know...Er, Raditz, was it? I think I'll let you suffer for a little while longer. I want you to know of all your little friends dying against me, when you could do nothing to help them." Raditz tried to make a feeble, barely conscious protest but Frieza was already floating away from him.

"Let's see how well you dodge, little ants." Frieza remarked, raising one finger up and starting to form a black and red Death Ball on his fingertip.

* * *

"Chi Chi!" Krillin yelled, feeling utterly drained of ki right now "He's taking aim at us, you gotta make a move, now or we're all gonna die!" he said, his tone quickly becoming more frantic, sweat glistening on his bald dome.

Chi Chi's eyes slowly opened and she gave a low exhale "It'll have to do..." she said with a low growl, taking a firm grip on the Super Spirit Bomb in the skies above them.

With a loud yell, Chi Chi flung the titanic glowing blue sphere down toward the planet, the supercharged blast starting to home in on Frieza.

* * *

Kakarot's eyes suddenly snapped wide awake when he sensed a massive shift in ki going on around him. He looked toward Dende who gave an elated gasp when he saw Kakarot was awake "Thank goodness...I thought I lost you a few times there."

"Thank you Dende. But we need to get out of her, right now." Kakarot said, picking the Namekian child up and then let him wrap his arms around Kakarot's neck.

"W-what's going on...?" Dende asked in a worried fashion. He had certainly felt all the tremors earlier, but when they subsided Dende felt he had survived the worst of it.

The recvered Saiyan started to fly from the battlefield. If what he was sensing was really that powerful, then he'd need to get Dande a few miles away from here, and fast "Something big is coming, and when it hits I need to make sure it doesn't take out our healer."

He set Dende on the blue grass of one land formation over a dozen miles from where the battle against Frieza was taking place "Stay put." Kakarot warned "If Frieza survives this, he'll be pissed. Can't risk losing you Dende, you're probably the only person with a chance at restoring the Namekian Dragon Balls." he gave the Namekian child a pat on the head and then flew off.

"But...What will he do to you if he's still alive...?" Dende asked shakily. Only the wind answered him.

* * *

Frieza grinned from ear to ear "Yes, that should be enough ki to scatter them all, and then picking them off one by one shall be child's play..." Suddenly he felt a shadow fall over his body, and his raised his brow "What the..."

The tyrant glanced upward, and his eyes widened in shock when he saw the gigantic Spirit Bomb falling straight down upon him. It consumed his mini Death Ball and kept moving downward, and Frieza despireately shoved his hands upward to stop the blasts descent. "What...is this?! Where did all this power come from?!" Frieza snapped.

The Spirit Bomb carried him down despite his desperate efforts, and soon the tyrant himself was sucked in, yelling out in agony as the blue and white sphere of light exploded.

Entire islands were atomised, massie tidal waves were kicked up, the human warriors were sent scattering backward from the shockwaves of the Spirit Bomb.

It took minutes for the effects of such a mighty attack to subside, and it was in that span of time that Kakarot arrived. He scanned about for his allies and then found Raditz with one arm wrapped around a sea spire. he barely had the energy to keep his head above the rocking waves of water, and he seemed to be constantly gagging some of the murky green water up. "I've got you brother." Kakarot murmured, hoisting Raditz up out f the water and giving him his shoulder for support.

"Kakarot...Hah...Thought I was done for that time." Raditz mumbled weakly.

"Hey, over here you guys!" A female voice yelled out. Looking across the water, the Saiyan brothers caught sight of Chi Chi, Yajirobe, Krillin, Jeice, Burter, Kami and Tien standing on one large patch of rock. The two landed before the group and Raditz stood up on shaky legs. "I think we might have done it." Chi Chi said, grinning from ear to ear.

"Bloody hell...never thoght I'd see that day..." Jeice murmured, giving a shaky laugh. Soon the others began to laugh with them, gradually growing more optimistic over the prospect of their victory. Even Kakarot joined in on the laughter...Until he saw Frieza standing above the group, water dripping off his scarred, scorched form.

* * *

A/N: Well I imagine you all know what's going to happen in the next chapter. The beginning of the final battle with Frieza! Which will feature special guest star Nicki Minaj (No it will not.)

**Power Levels:**

-Oozaru Raditz: 13,000,000

-Frieza (10% Full Power): 12,000,000

-Frieza (50% Full Power): 60,000,000

-Kakarot (Post-Zenkai): 2,400,000


	20. Ascended

Everyone present stood transfixed from an indescribable horror. Frieza stood above the group on one elevated mound of rock, a look of irritation marking his face as water slid off his ivory coloured flesh. The Spirit Bomb had done some damage to him, some scratches and scorches marking various points on his body, and the tip of his tail now missing. Still, Frieza seemed not to care about his injuries.

"Well...Are you all done now?" he asked, his voice carrying an icy chill "No more tricks? Techniques? No more ace in the hole, or trump cards?" everyone tensed, watching Frieza's eyes narrow at the group "I thought not." he added dryly.

His garnet eyes scanned over the group, many of them weak and weary, incapable of even fighting Frieza at his first form at this point...Save for Kakarot. "I must admit, I thought you almost had me for a moment there, that ki sphere...It certainly packed a punch, but nowhere near enough to put me down...The question is, who should I thank for that little trick?"

A silence fell over the group He was going to kill them all anyway, why bother ratting someone out to be killed first. Kakarot clenched one fist and defiantly said "You better stay back or else-"

"Or else what?" Frieza hissed, causing Kakarot to tense up "I thought as much, monkey." He slowly raised a finger up "Well I suppose it makes no difference who I kill first...Still, I have some unfinished business with you..." he quickly pointed his outstretched index finger at Raditz and fired off a bolt of red ki that blew a small hole in the long-haired Saiyan's chest.

A weak wheeze, a mixture of shock and pain, escaped Raditz lips. He clutched the hole in his torso, and then fell face-first onto the ground.

A buzzing entered Kakarot's brain as he stared at his fallen sibling, his jaw open from the shock of what he had just seen. He was almost hearing the steady beat of tom-tom's in his brain, growing gradually louder and louder in volume and intensity.

"And as for you..." Frieza said, glaring at Kami "I don't want to leave a single Namekian alive after being denied my wish for immortality!" he spat, firing off a tiny dot of red ki from his fingertip. Kami gave a gasp of shock as the energy forced its way into Kami's torso, and with a flick of his finger the yelling Namekian was being hefted skyward by an unseen telekinetic force.

Kakarot managed to compose himself in time to watch Kami getting flung to the heavens "Frieza, stop this!" he screamed, glaring at the grinning tyrant. Storm clouds were beginning to bew. "Let him go, now!"

Frieza smirked again, his body becoming faintly illuminated by an arc or lightning on the horizon "I think not...I'd rather get a better grip on him!" he spat, clenching his fist. Even from such a distance, Kakarot could vividly hear Kami's pained shriek, and watched as his mentor's chest expanded violently outward...and then erupted in a fiery explosion that consumed his whole body.

A silence fell over the group, watching with mixtures of horror and sorrow on their faces. Kakarot could feel tears form and sting in the corners of his eyes, a gust of strong wind blowing past him. He drooped his head and clenched his fists, his whole body starting to twitch in rage when he heard Frieza's elegant chuckle. The beating in his brain grew louder, more violent, as did the storm clouds above.

"Heh. Those slugs make for lovely fireworks, wouldn't you all agree? Ah...Maybe I'll burn that monkey corpse too, it'll make me much happier about today's losses..." Frieza remarked, watching the lingering smoke cloud that remained of Kami, slowly fading away in the wind.

"You...BASTARD!" Kakarot snapped, keeping his head hung low. Frieza raised a brow and glanced toward the Saiyan, his body shaking with a growing rage, veins popping up along his exposed skin. In the distance more cracks of lightning and thunder began to rage, lighting up the area darkened by massive plumes of smoke and dust hanging in the air above.

The ground rumbled slightly beneath his feet, and the air directly around Kakarot shimmered with heat and power. His friends could only look on in awe as they sensed a practically impossible surge in power growing within the Saiyan. "You...Killed my brother...and the only father I've ever known..."

Kakarot couldn't explain this surge of emotion inside him. He'd meditated his whole life to create a mask that would suppress his natural Saiyan rage. Now though, Frieza had broken that mask, and all the ugliness and anger was bubbling to the surface. He felt as if a mighty Oozaru had come to life inside his brain, roaring and howling for blood...and there was nothing that Kakarot could do to stp this bubbling wrath.

Lightning struck the ground directly behind him, and Kakarot threw his head up to yell "I'll... MAKE YOU PAY!" A glorious golden light vented up off his body, his hair spiked up and turned gold in colour t match his aura, the earth shattered beneath his feet and the surrounding humans were almost flung away by the onslaught of power.

For the first time in over a thousand years, the universe drank in the light of a Super Saiyan.

The humans watched in a mixture of awe and confusion, their brains trying to comprehend just what had happened to wasn't human, so maybe this was some alien ability of the Saiyan's...Still, why had he never done this before?

Frieza, meanwhile, was absorbed in a primal fear. He'd never seen such a phenomenon before in person, but now Kakarot resembled the Super Saiyan who'd supposedly slain his great great grand grandfather Chilled. The golden haired warrior that Cooler tormented him with stories of, ever since his father gave him control of Planet Vegeta when he was a boy. "What...What is this?!" Frieza snapped, his garnet eyes locked onto Kakarot's turquoise ones.

Kakarot's whole body tensed, he bared his teeth in rage, and then he dashed forth to strike Frieza in the jaw with one mighty punch that sent Frieza hurtling far away from the blasted chunk of earth the group had landed on.

"I don't quite know what this is, but I know it's dangerous..." Kakarot said, addressing his allies despite the fact that his back was turned on them. His voice now carried a dark menace to it now "Get to Bulma, and then out of here. Go, now."

"B-but Kakarot..." Chi Chi tried to cut in, only to be swiftly silenced by a hard stare.

"DID I FUCKING STUTTER?! GO!" Kakarot snapped. His golden aura flared up and he flew off after the Arcosian tyrant. Chi Chi gulped hard, picked Raditz up and started flying off with her allies. Suddenly, faintly, a small wheeze of pain escaped Raditz' lips.

Chi Chi gave a gasp of shock, and the other humans glanced her way "H-He's alive! Quick, we need to get him back to the Capsule Ship, that's where the Senzu stuff is!"

Tien nodded "I'll go on as fast as I can and grab some Senzu Tonic, we can't risk injuring Raditz in his current state by flying him too fast." With that, Tien's crimson aura flared up and he blasted on ahead of his allies.

* * *

Frieza coughed up some Namekian sea water onto the sandy shore he'd crashed into. He worked his way onto his hands and knees, coughing up more water. "How can this be happening...I killed 99% of their damn race, and one of the stragglers managed to become a Super Saiyan..." Frieza mentally slapped himself for his stupidty. Why had he let a single monkey live?!

The Arcosian got to his feet and spun around, seeing a golden dot fast approaching him and growing larger by the second. He gave a low growl and raised his index finger up, before firing off a barrage of purple death beams at the incoming strike.

Every blast however only struck off an afterimage, and Kakarot simply kept getting closer and closer. "Damn you, stand still!" Frieza spat. Very few could even contend with a fraction of his fourth form's power, and now this golden chimp could treat 50% of his power like a joke.

Suddenly Kakarot seemed to just appear before him, looming over Frieza's admittedly short stature. He glowered at Frieza with pure hatred, and just when the Arcosian was about to fire off another Death Beam, Kakarot suddenly punched him in the face with enough force to stagger him back a few steps. Frieza could swear he was seeing stars, and he felt hot blood dribbled past his cracked lips.

"That was for Yamcha." Kakarot snapped. Frieza gave an irrtated snarl, his body twitching in anger and indignation. He lunged at kakarot again, only to recieve a harsh boot to the solar plexus that left Frieza wheezing and reeling in pain "That was for Raditz." Kakarot added gruffly. A spark of blue ki formed in his outstretched palm "And this..." Kakarot hissed "IS FOR KAMI!"

He launched the ki ball from his palm, and it exploded against Frieza's chest. The blast launched Frieza several dozen metres away, a smoking scorch mark on the bio gem on his chest, and then he finally crashed into a large mesa of rock.

Frieza grunted and stood up, before giving a gas of shock and dashing upward, just as kakarot yelled out and shattered the mesa with a mighty kiai. Frieza kept his purple aura flared up, and gave a hiss of anger _'I need to power up fully, but this monkey is so angry that I can't keep him away long enough...' _Frieza thought to himself. Suddenly, as if on queue, Kakarot yelled with an animalistic rage and flew up at Frieza with a glorious burst of golden light behind him.

The tyrant jerked his head to one side, narrowly avoiding a blow to the face by the enraged Super Saiyan. he moved quickly and lashed his tail against Kakarot's gut, maing him wince and stagger back slightly from the pain. Frieza pressed his advantage for all it was worth, channelling ki into his feet and delivering flurries of rapid kicks to Kakarot's exposed chest and face, staggering him back through the air...still, his blows seemed to only be slowing the Guardian down at best.

Suddenly, Kakarot grabbed Frieza's ankle and then spun Frieza abut before flinging him straight skyward. He reappeared directly in front of Frieza's trajectory and then stuck hi with a two-legged kick to the stomach that made the tyrant gag in agony and sent him soaring a few dozen metres away before righting himself.

"You dirty chimp!" Frieza yelled, charging at Kakarot. He started delivering rapid fire punches, sending Kakarot staggering backward with each successive strike. With a quick spin, Frieza smacked Kakarot across the jaw with his tail and send him crashing into the blue grass below with a powerful crash, forming large fissures in the earth beneath him.

Just as Kakarot got to his feet, he saw Frieza raise both his hands above his head, forming a large black and red ball of energy, crackling with lightning of a similar colour "I'll destroy you, and this entire useless backwater planet, you stupid ape!" Frieza snarled, his Death Ball growing larger by the second.

* * *

"Okay, hold his mouth open." Tien remarked, popping the cork off one of the three bottles of Senzu tonics he had brught. Chi Chi nodded, laying the weakly groaning Raditz down on the blue grass just outside the capsule ship he and Kakarot came to Namek in.

Slowly, Tien funnelled the first bottle down Raditz' throat. The long-haired Saiyan coughed and sputtered up some of green liquid, but Chi Chi gently massaged his throat to help him swallow it fully. The Ox Princess smiled sadly down at Raditz "C-come on now...Can't have you die on me. I mean, you helped save my life..."

Her time spent on King Kai's planet had given her time to think, whenever she wasn't training anyway. She'd harboured a small crush on both Saiyan siblings, but when it became clear that Bulma and Kakarot only had eyes for each other, Chi Chi decided to focus her affections on Raditz. He had been Chi Chi's first mentor since her father. He was stern, but never cruel...and she was aware of the soft spot he had for her. _'If we make it back to Earth alive, I'll come clean to you...'_ the dark-haired woman thought to herself.

Gradually, after the second bottle of tonic, the hole in Raditz' stomach closed up. With the third and last bottle, he seemed strong enough to sit upright, giving ragged breaths.

"Kakarot...Where's my brother...?" he asked weakly.

"He-He's fighting Frieza. After he saw you get blasted and Kami getting blown up. I dunno how to describe it, his hair ust went all golden and spiked up!" Chi Chi replied in a frantic fashion.

Raditz' eyes widened when he heard that. That sounded like the legends his father would tell him, one of the Saiyan's oldest legends"Kakarot, he...You mad bastard, you ascended!" the humans looked at him in a curious fashion.

It was Yajirobe who asked "The hell do you mean by 'ascended'?"

Raditz grinned and gave a small chukle, that gradually grew louder in volume before he managed to compose himself "It's one of the oldest stories, the one that must have got Frieza paranoid in the first place. The legend of the Super Saiyan, a powerful Saiyan warrior with godlike power!" Raditz explained "I never thought I'd see the day..."

Krillin hummed in thought "Well, we might have a good chance to beat Frieza now. Still, the power they're giving off is really dangerous, we should get off of Namek while we can." the bald monk said. "I'll go and get Bulma and bring her here."

Tien nodded "I'll go get whatever Namekian survivors I can find and get them to Kami's ship. I saw enough from watching Bulma, I can get them out of attack range." the two bald warriors exchanged nods and then they flew off in separate directions.

* * *

The Death Ball above Frieza's head was growing in size, crackling and warping with dark red energy "Dodge this at your peril monkey!" Frieza exclaimed "But just know that if you do, it'll destroy this stupid planet! And, unlike you, I can actually survive in space!" the tyrant added, before flinging the ball downward.

Kakarot stood stoic, glaring at the fast approaching ball of energy. Suddenly, he raised one hand up and fired off a swirling blue and gold wave of energy that struck against the Death Ball, halting it in it's tracks. "W-what?!" Frieza exclaimed, using his telekinesis to keep pushing the blast against Kakarot's own "H-how can this be?! Nobody's ever stopped my Death Ball in the past!"

"I won't let you destroy another world...I won't let you harm anyone else, ever again!" Kakarot yelled, before he gave a manic yell, his blast surging with even more potent power. It blew through the Death Ball, the evil energy scattering and dissipating while Kakarot's energy blast kept on moving. Frieza only narrowly dodged by swiftly jerking to one side.

"It's over for you. Just give up, and I'll make sure not to prolong your pain...much." Kakarot spat.

Frieza gave a loud yell of indigation and charged straight at Kakarot. he started launching furiously fast blows with his feet, fists and tail, but every strike was casually dodged by the Super Saiyan. Suddenly, Goku swung his knee up and sent the Arcosian spiralling about a foot away, before crashing on his feet and shattering the ground beneath him.

"Worthless...Piece of...TRASH!" Frieza screamed at the top of his lungs, before launching out a powerful wave of telekinetic energy that caused the ground beneath Kakarot's feet to buckle and shatter. The Super Saiyan was flung down into the watr and subsequently pinned to the ocean floor by the power of Frieza's telekinesis.

"Drown monkey! DROWN!" Frieza yelled, watching the bubbles of Kakarot's remaining air rise to the surface of the murky green water.

* * *

"You just left him out there to fight Frieza alone?!" Bulma exclaimed, gripping tight to Krillin's back as they flew along to the Capsule ship. She could see the dark clouds above and the storms being caused by the might of their ki, and it made her worry more than she ever had in the past "How could you leave him like that?"

Krillin gave a grumble "I didn't want to leave him, but we didn't have much choice. They're both so much more powerful than us that if we got involved in the battle, all we'd be doing is getting in his way."

Bulma scoffed, and gently reached down to cup her currently flat stomach "Kakarot..." she murmured out of worry. She prayed to whatever deity would listen, to keep Kakarot safe and alive.

"Don't worry." Krillin said calmly "You can't sense ki, but Kakarot's power right now is...amazing! He's almost twice as strong as Frieza. He's got this in the bag..."

"I hope you're right Krillin, I really do..." Bulma admitted, watching as the ship grew closer. "We might have to wait some time before trying to take off though, especially with those two causing such powerful storms..."

* * *

His air was draining from his lungs rapidly, his golden aura providing him only limited lighting at the bottom of the ocean. The ground continued to crack and split beneath him from the immense telekinetic pressure being applied to his body. Even he had to admit that Frieza's psychic powers were immense, powers he had refined his entire life, to the point where he could overpower even Kakarot's superior physical strength.

Still, he couldn't give in. Not yet.

He thought of Raditz and Kami, how he needed to win to avenge them. He though of his dead race and homeworld and how he needed to make Frieza pay for their deminse. And then he thought of Bulma, how he needed to win and return to her.

Kakarot's rage boiled again, he coudn't just lay down and die! His oxygen was almost depleted, he had to act now!

Kakarot dug deep and called upon this mysterious power he'd tapped into, the golden aura expanding around his body. A massive surge of power rippled off the Super Saiyan's body, releasing enough power to split the ocean directly above him, massive waves of water smashing up into the air. He could breathe again, finally.

The shock of the sight caused Frieza to release his telekinetic grip on Kakarot. A split second, that was all the time Kakarot needed to close the distance and bury is fist into Frieza's gut.

The tyrant could barely react to the lightning fast blows being sent his way. A punch to the chest, an elbow to the temple, a knee to the ribs, a chop to the hip, he simply couldn't perceive the superhuman motions. Moving swiftly, Kakarot dashed downward and grabbed Frieza by the tail, whipping him upward before flinging him down to the ground, smashing it on impact.

Frieza flipped to his feet and glared as Kakarot landed just a few feet away. _'I need to power up, but in order to do that I need to get this stupid monkey away from me...'_ Frieza thought to himself. He could only really keep one eyes open at this stage, and his ivory skin was marked by various dark bruises and bumps.

Thinking quickly, Frieza flicked his wrist to cause a telekinetic gust which ripped up large chunks of rock from the ground and sent them hurtling to Kakarot. Suddenly Frieza clenched his fist and caused the rocks to explode into a large cloud of dust that obscured Kakarot's vision.

Before Kakarot could disperse he dust, Frieza was behind him. The Arcosian gave a yell and formed a golden psychokinetic bubble around Kakarot's body, imprisoning him. It crackled and hummed with power, shifting and warping around him. Kakarot gave a yell and punched directly infront of him...only for the bubble to knock his fist backward with an equal amount of force. "What...is this?" Kakarot grunted.

"My imprisonment ball." Frieza replied flatly, giving Kakarot a most evil grin. He raised his arms upward and the energy bubble followed his motions "ENJOY SPACE, SIMIAN BASTARD!" Frieza snarled, launching the imprisonment ball into the heavens.

Frieza watched the ball fly high into the sky until it vanished frm view, and then he dropped into a fighting stance. "Now then..." his purple aura flared to life and formed a crater directly below him, his ki starting to rapidly grow and the increase in power starting to bulk his muscles up slightly, making them swell more and more "Even if that monkey manages to escape the imprisonment ball...Nobody can match me at 100%!"

* * *

A/N: Next time,the climactic clash between Frieza and kakart kicks off. Can the Super Saiyans beastial rage top the Arcosian's raw power?!

**Power Levels:**

Kakarot (Super Saiyan): 120,000,000

Frieza (100% Full power): 120,000,000

Hereafter the Planet Trade Organisations power level system will no longer be used, nor will any other power level system.


	21. Gods of Our Time

This energy bubble was immensely durable, shockingly so given how Kakarot outclassed the person who created it in terms of raw power. It was rising upward rapidly, the golden bubble moving up past the layer of dark clouds in the skies of Namek.

"Damn it! That lizard is a crafty bastard!" Kakarot growled, punching at the walls of the imprisonment ball repeatedly, each strike only knocking his fist backward. While the Super Saiyan was annoyed with himself for getting trapped by such a cheap trick, he was equally annoyed because Frieza was using this chance to gather his ki up and to power up even further. It was shocking, he was fast approaching Kakarot's current level of power.

He had to break out of this thing quick.

There was also the problem of air...This thing, tight and durable as it was, did seem to filter air into it. Once he hit outer space, that was it, game over...Right now, Kakarot could even feel the air he was breathing getting thinner by the second.

"There's gotta be some way to breach this thing..." the Super Saiyan snapped, eyeing for any little gaps in the ki bubble. It seemed to focus it's power at a specific point to counter any attempts to breach it. Maybe if he tried an omnidirectional attack, something would give way and burst like a balloon.

Hell, it was worth a shot. Better than just laying down and dying.

Kakarot focused hard, giving a grunt as the pale golden light surrounding his body began to rapidly expand outward. A loud yell ran up his throat, and then his golden aura suddenly exploded in all directions, straining the energy bubble around him. He felt the energy of the imprisonment ball shimmering around him, straining to contain the awe-inspiring wrath of the Super Saiyan.

The energy bubble was still rising high, but the distortion from within was causing it to slow down significantly. Kakarot could barely see anything other than the swirling mass of golden light around him but he knew his aura was having some effect.

Suddenly his aura ripped the smallest of holes in the top of the bubble. It was small at first, but then the torrent of golden light tore clean through the energy bubble, dispersing the energy in Namek's lower stratosphere. Kakarot kept his gold aura blazing to protect him from the bitter cold up here, and then he focused his gaze on Namek below him.

He could sense Frieza, his growing power was enormous and coming very close to Kakarot's own current level, but the tyrant himself was nigh impossible to see. Only a tiny purple star, glinting way down below on the surface of Namek. The Super Saiyan grit his teeth and flew down trough the atmosphere at high hypersonic speeds, yelling **"FRIEZA!"** at the top of his lungs.

* * *

It took several minutes flying at hypersonic speeds to reach the surface of the planet, hurricane winds snapping at him the closer he got to Frieza's location.

The tyrant was wreathed in a swirling purple aura, white sparks of ki flying off his body and exploding against whatever they touched. His body was larger now, more muscular from the ki being forced throughout his muscles.

"Ninety eight...percent..." Frieza hissed, veins bulging and throbbing along his frosty skin. "Ninety...nine...percent!" he snapped, his eyes focusing on the golden blur fast approaching him like a speeding bullet. "ONE HUNDRED PERCENT!" Frieza yelled at the top of his lugs, releasing a powerful kiai that forced Kakarot to stop flying and putting up a block to stop himself from being smashed backward.

Thick plumes of dust and smoke slowly coiled off of Frieza's body, his body shuddering wth sharp huffs of breath. "It's over now, monkey..." Frieza spat, flexing his disproportionately large arms. "You stand no chance against my full power!"

Kakarot took a moment to roughly gauge Frieza's current power level. From the look of things, they were dead even in terms of power. Seemed he'd need superior skill to win here.

A crack of lightning lit up in the distance, and in the span it time it took for the sound of thunder to reach them the two warriors had clashed against each other four times, shattering the ground directly below wherever they crashed.

Kakarot swung a powerful punch out, the blow striking Frieza in the ribs ad sending him skidding back across the grass. He swung a kick at Frieza's head, but the pumped up Arcosian side-stepped the attack and lunged forth. He launched a flurry of powerful kicks, jerking Kakarot's head in multiple directions from the powerful blows, before launching him away with a tail swipe.

The strike sent Kakarot hurtling a few metres up into the air before he corrected himself, just im time to start dodging a series of rapid punches from Frieza. the Saiyan caught one of Frieza's fists abruptly, before giving an enraged yell and smashing his fist into Frieza's gut with enough force to make a bulge in the Arcosian's back.

His golden-charged fists repeatedly smashed into Frieza's chest, causing him to retch and gag in pain, seemingly incapable of countering the attack. He narrowed his eyes, and fired off an imprecise blast of ki from his eye. It struck off kakarot's exposed shoulder, burning at the flesh and making him recoil in pain. Taking advantage of the brief respite, Frieza fired off a red ki sphere at point blank range the explosion sending Kakarot hurtling into a rocky mesa that proceeded to collapse atop him.

"Ha! How do you like them apples, you stupid ape?!" Frieza snapped. He started firing off a storm of energy waves that exploded against the collapsed mesa, kicking up a small lake of blazing explosions, sending tidal waves rippling across the murky green water.

The barrage of energy blasts kept going for a few more moments, before Frieza raised both his hands above his head, forming a basketball sized orb of black and purple ki above his head. With a loud yell he cast it down to the smoking ruin of the island, obliterating it with a powerful explosion that sent a jet of fire high into the sky.

Frieza took a moment to congratulate himself, believing he had won...but his inability to sense energy meant he couldn't sense Kakarot rising from the ocean behind him.

The top half of his gi had been utterly obliterated, small burns and scorches marking the damage caused by Frieza's innacurate barrage. Despite some minor damage done to him, his golden aura still glowed it's golden glow.

Frieza slowly turned his head, only for Kakarot's heel to slam into his jaw and send a spray of blood and a fragment of tooth past his purple lips. He let off a volley of kicks, striking Frieza's head and chest repeatedly and marking purple bruises across his chest. Eventually however, Frieza managed to block one kick and returned several blows to his foe, leaving dark marks along Kakarot's exposed flesh.

The two beings, modern gods in power, pulled their fists back at the same time and then struck forth. Their fists collided with a thunderous collision that sent both warriors smashing into the ground below them.

They exchanged glances. Both of their rages seemed to be becoming more tranquil, but their power hadn't subsided that much yet. The two warriors charged at each other like angry planets, their sublime power causing the land, the sea and the sky to tremble at the incredible wrath.

* * *

"Those two are dead even." Raditz remarked, sensing the battle taking place in the distance. Large storm clouds were on the horizon, booms of lightning lighting up the distance. "I just hope kakarot doesn't slip up now that he has the advantage." he added.

Bulma slowly shook her head, fixing her turquoise hair up "He won't. Have a little faith in him, he'll win and come back to us." Bulma remarked, folding her slender arms over her orange vest.

"Don't forget, if he dies then that means earth's Dragon Balls go with him." Chi Chi added, frowning as she watched the distant clash, feeling tremors of power running through the air itself. "So we'd have no way to undo all the damage Frieza's done..." the Ox Princess explained, frowning slightly at the prospect.

In response, Bulma gave a small tut "Always focusing on the worst possible outcome...He's got this, trust me." While she couldn't sense energy at all, she had a distinct feeling that this Super Saiyan thing was just the thing they needed to win the day. She glanced toward Krillin, who stood on the landing ramp of the Capsule craft, still in telepathic conversation with Tien on the matter of the few surviving Namekians on the planet. "How's he doing?"

"He got the few Namekian villagers to Kami's ship. Says it's a tight fit, but the ship's still good to fly if need be." Krillin replied.

"And what about Dende?" Chi Chi asked, raising a brow.

Krillin rubbed his chin "He found Dende in Guru's palace, retrieving Porunga's dragon model. So long as that doesn't get destroyed, he has a chance to restore Namek's Dragon Balls."

"Huh. Useful lil' green bean." Yajirobe remarked, munching on some fish he stole from the Capsule ships fridge. "If anything happens to Kaka Carrot Cake, then at least we have that kid to fix our Dragon Balls."

"He'll be fine." Bulma insisted, wincing whe she felt a gust of wind from the distant battle reach her and her friends. "Just gotta have faith in him."

Jeice and Burter couldn't sense energy yet, but they could see the effects of the clash in the distance. "Someone who can match Lord Frieza at his best..." Burter remarked in an low rasp "I never thought I'd see the day..."

* * *

Every single strike exchanged between Frieza and Kakarot sent a tremor across the land and shattered the land beneath them. The tides rippled around them, the clouds shook with thunder and lightning, and the blackened landscape shifted in colour from the two aura's battering against each other.

A strong right hook from Frieza knocked Kakarot straight off his feet, flinging him into a large boulder which exploded into a plume of dust on impact. Kakarot flipped repeatedly and skidded to a halt.

"I'll kill you, you stupid simian!" Frieza snapped, shoving his foot off the ground with enough force to shatter it and charging at Kakarot. A barrage of elbow strikes sent Kakarot staggering backward. The Arcosian tyrant swung both his feet up and smashed his heels into Kakarot's jaw with enough force to launch him straight up into the air.

Suddenly, Frieza was in the air above Kakarot, hammering him with powerful kicks and tail strikes. "You hear me?! I'll end you for your defiance!" he spat.

The tyrant clamped both of his fists high above his head, every vein on his muscular arms popping to the surface of his skin. "I'll kill you, I'll kill your worthless friends! I'll destroy this wretched planet, and then whatever backwater you've been living on your whole life!" Frieza snapped, smashing his fists across Kakarot's face with enough force to send him crashing into a mound of rock which exploded on impact.

As Kakarot got to his feet, he saw Frieza charging straight towards him "What do you think of that?! Answer me you stupid ape!" Frieza spat, charging a crackling ball of purple energy in his palm.

He fired off an energy blast at the Saiyan, who merely side-stepped the blast. The energy wave flew off into the distance and exploded against a distant mountain, vaporising it on impact. Frieza was shocked at the fact that Kakarot just side-stepped the blast so casually. Kakatot delivered a powerful punch to Frieza's throat, making him double over, clutching at the purple bruise on his once-white neck.

"I get it now." Kakarot said finally, glaring down at Frieza. His knee struck Frieza's forehead with enough force to smash him back a few metres. "People like you, exist solely to spread misery and destruction throughout the universe. To inflict pain on innocent people."

Frieza let out an enraged yell and leapt at Kakarot, launching rapid blows from his fists, feet and tail, but now every strike was being blocked. He felt like he was getting slower, fatigue building inside his body from the strain of ki on his body.

Kakarot sent Frieza hurtling back with an elbow to the jaw, leaving him sprawled on his back in the grass "There needs to be an opposite to you, an antithesis. Someone who needs to protect life from the likes of you." he strode forth just as Frieza pushed himself to his feet "Someone like me. I've been given this power as a sign, a sign that it simply isn't enough to be a Guardian of Earth. I need to be a Guardian of all living things in the galaxy. I'm the end of you Frieza!"

The tyrant's face twitched in rage and he flung himself at Kakarot. Their fists collided against each other repeatedly, breaking up the land beneath them. A powerful telekinetic pulse from Frieza sent the Super Saiyan smashing through the shore of the island and soaring down to the ocea floor. In his rage, Frieza flared his purple aura and took off after him.

The two warriors clashed on the ocean floor, each impact causing massive ripples in the water around them, the lights of their auras illuminating the blackness around them.

A burst of gold energy shot from Kakarot's palm, but Frieza narrowly dodged the strike and it wound up causing a split in the ocean floor. The ground rumbled and an orange glow began to grow brighter as magma rose up to the crack in the ocean floor.

The warriors exchanged glances and then started flying to the surface as fast as they could, a hot vent of lava pursuing them to the top of the water. The warriors breached the water first, and while the magma was cooling all the way up it did still manage to reach the top of the ocean, forming a small island of basalt. Thick clouds of steam rose up off the new land formation, but Kakarot and Frieza paid no mind to it.

Kakarot lunged at Frieza and swung a kick out that was promptly blocked by Frieza, the shockwave behind the attack knocking the steam away from them. "You're out of your mind if you think you can kill me!" Frieza snapped, delivering a mighty tail strike that sent Kakarot hurtling downward. The Super Saiyan flipped through the air and landed on the basalt mound.

"I am the most powerful being in the universe! I will make you grovel at my feet for mercy!" Frieza roared, raising both hands anove his head. A crackling red and black orb of ki began to grow above his head, rapidly expanding in size.

Kakarot smirked in response, a swirling gold and blue ball of energy forming in one of his hands. The sky above Frieza's head was now constantly shifting in colour to varying shades of red, while the ground beneath Kakarot kept swirling between blue and glorious gold in colour.

"Go to hell, you stupid ape!" Frieza yelled, flinging the massive Death Ball down through the air.

Kakarot's own orb was probably only half the size of Frieza's attack, but the energy was more concentrated "You're the one who's going to hell! **SPARKING METEOR!"** the Super Saiyan roared, flinging his blast up to clash against Frieza's own.

* * *

A/N: Next time, the finale of the Frieza saga! Will Namek survive to power of two Modern Gods? And how will the galaxy be changed by Kakarot's actions?

Also I'd like to give a big thank you to all my readers, we've breached the 300 reviews mark! Woo, help yourselves to some internet champagne.

I'd also like those of you who read my other fic, 'Fall of Lord Frieza', to take a look at an excellent fic called **'Rise of the G Fighters' by Lake Superior**. It takes place in the same continuity as FoLF, using the same lore I gave the Arcosians, and the writing itself is pretty kick-ass.

- Angel nieves: Thanks for the reviews! I'm actually a little surprised killing Vegeta off didn't get a more vocal reaction from people. Why did I do it? Well I wanted to do some things that would really shock the reader. Really, when we get to the Android/Cell saga, some people will be shocked by how different it is in this timeline. As for the Goku/Kakarot thing...Yeah, it is kinda hard to stop myself making that mistake. More of a Freudian Slip really.

- Tellemicus Sundance: Well to be honest, the numbers would just start getting ridiculous after a time. I might develop a PL system that's less absurd, but to be honest you can't accurately gauge a characters strength by Power Level alone.


	22. Beauty of Destruction

The clash between the two mighty energy balls was lighting up the sky, illuminating the landscape in all sorts of colours. like stars falling to the earth. The force behind their collision would be enough to blow up Namek if either were to hit below the planet's surface and collide against the core, the ripples of energy between the grinding blasts kicking up massive tidal waves below and powerful lightning storms above.

The noise of the ki clash was thunderous, deafening, so loud that neither Kakarot or Frieza could hear anything but their battle reaching it fever pitch.

Frieza's enlarged Death Ball ground against Kakarot's Sparking Meteor, and while the Death Ball seemed large enough to swallow Kakarot's whole, no ground was actually made by either attack. The clash sent powerful arcs of lightning flying off from the epicentre of the attacks, striking the ground and setting portions of blue grass ablaze.

A powerful rumbling rang out from the attacks, and much to the shock of the two warriors their blasts seemed to be merging into one singular entity.

It lasted for only a second, and then both of the attacks exploded in a glorious white hot explosion in mid-air. It seemed that, for a brief moment at least, that every colour flashed out from the blast. Then a booming hurricane force of wind flew out fom the heart of the explosion. Any lesser being would have been knocked away by the force of the explosion. Kakarot and Frieza stood firm against the power.

In no time flat, the two were dashing at each other through the smoke, firing off powerful punches and kicks, the shockwaves of each blow rapidly dispersing the smoke around them,

Frieza drove his fist into Kakarot's ribs, making him recoil in pain. The Saiyan managed to swiftly duck under a tail swipe from Frieza and then delivered a hard double-legged kick that struck Frieza in the face and sent him smashing through a small sea stack.

Frieza dashed from the water, swerving his body to avoid a lightning-fast jab from Kakarot. He drove his elbow forth, aiming for Kakarot's face, only for the blow to be rapidly deflected by Kakarot's other hand. Frieza gave an annoyed yell and launched a bolt of red energy from his eyes, the energy exploding against Kakarot's chest and sending him spiralling backward through the air.

Frieza's attempts to destroy the planet had been foiled repeatedly by this monkey. If he was to win, he'd need to start using only lethal techniques if he was to win.

He started firing off a barrage of purple Death beams, but Kakarot must have been faster than the Arcosian expected, as the Saiyan was quickly dodging and deflecting the rapid-fire blasts with quick swipes of his hand.

"You simian coward! Hold still and stop dodging my attacks!" Frieza snarled, dashing upward until he was in the air directly above Kakarot. His ivory fingertip started to glow purple, and then he was launching off several Fissure Slashes. However, Kakarot was dodging those too with an impossible degree of speed. With a loud yell, Frieza fired off a more powerful slice. Kakarot seemed to simply flip of that one, the energy cut flying off into the horizon and claving the tip off a fistant mountain, the mound of rock crumbling to nothing as it fell down.

"H-how...how are you so fast?!" Frieza snapped, the bulging veins on his snow-coloured skin bulging out all the more now that he was enraged.

"You really don't get it...do you?" Kakarot said mockingly. He dashed forth, smashing his elbow downward onto the purple bio-gem atop Frieza's head. The force caused Frieza's eyes to bulge out from his skull, a croaking gasp of pain running up his throat.

Kakarot struck him across the jaw with a punch so powerful that Frieza honestly thought it was about to be ripped off his shoulders. "Have you really not noticed how much more sluggish you're getting as this fight goes on?" The Saiyan swung a kick into Frieza's chest, shattering one of the tyrant's ribs on impact.

The Super Saiyan backhanded Frieza away through the air, his smouldering eyes locked on the heaving tyrant. With an enraged snarl, Frieza fired a massive wave of purple energy at Kakarot, seeming to engulf him by the onslaught of power and forming large plumes of smoke in the air around them.

For a moment, Frieza was pleased, thinking he had done it. Until the smoke began to clear, revealing a golden ki shield protecting the Saiyan's body. It quickly vanished, and Kakarot took a moment to smirk at the dumbstruck Arcosian.

"And...Well, every ki attack you do just adds to that enervation." Kakarot remarked. He zipped forth and was soon hammering Frieza with machine-gun punches.

A firm roundhouse kick to the face sent Frieza hurtling away through the air, but Kakarot was quick to flare his gold aura up, flying fast enough to intercept him and kick him down to the ground. Frieza smashed face first into a large boulder, utterly destroying it on impact, his body grinding through the dirt a few metres before he pushed himself onto his hands and knees.

Kakarot landed a few metres behind Frieza, his arms crossed over his burnt and bruised torso. "Give up now. Your body can't handle the strain of all your power at once, not like this new form of mine can endure. We started out equal, but now you have no chance. Just give it up, and I promise your death will be quick."

"Go to hell..." Frieza spat, standing up fully once more. In another time, another life, they could have been allies. Friends even. Not now though. Not when both were so consumed with rage and contempt for the other.

Frieza's violet aura exploded around him, and suddenly he was dashing staight up into the sky. Kakarot's eyes locked onto him, watched as he turned and raised one hand up. "Take this!I'm putting everything I've got into this, I'll wipe you out like I wiped out every other Saiyan chimp!" Frieza snapped, a large mass of black and red energy forming in his hand.

Kakarot glowered, his own golden aura shooting to life. He raised both his hands up, pressing the sides of his hands together. A vortex of gold and red light started to crackle in his hands. The force of his gathering energy was enough to crack the land directly beneath his feet.

"Die!" Frieza snapped, firing off the crackling wave of red and black ki, the spear of ki soaring straight down toward the Super Saiyan. It would've been more than powerful enough to destroy Planet Vegeta three times over.

**"RAGING...BLAST!"** Kakarot roared, firing off the swirling wave of red and gold energy. The two beams clashed in the sky, a maelstrom of light swirling in the heavens above. Gradually, ever so slowly, Kakarot's blast began to force Frieza's further and further into the sky, much to the shock of the Arcosian tyrant.

Frieza was straining, pouring out evy bit of energy he had into this attack...but the Saiyan was right, 100% of his power had done a great deal of damage to his body and actually made him weaker in the long run. "This cannot be! I am Frieza, lord of the galaxy! I cannot...I WILL not lose!" Frieza roared at the top of his lungs, trying desperately to maintain the clash.

A massive surge of ki rippled through the Super Saiyan's body, and his Raging Blast seemed to grow in size. It cleaved through Frieza's own blast and struck the tyrant, carrying him yowling into the upper atmosphere. It was ripping and tearing through Frieza's flesh, sending the Arcosian lord flying straight into outer space. Then, with another powerful flourish, the Raging Blast fully engulfed Frieza and utterly destroyed his body.

Kakarot slowly lowered his hands, taking a few moments to see if any trace of Frieza's ki remained. "Gone..." he muttered quietly "It's over..."

His turquoise eyes scanned the horizon, glaring in the direction of Frieza's flying saucer. His golden aura flared to life again, and then he was flying toward the craft, reaching it in the span of a few minutes. He boarded it, none of the few remaining soldiers having the guts to stand up to him. Kakarot walked the corridors until he came across the cockpit of the craft. The only person inside right now seemed to be a purple alien with a sausage-shaped head.

"You." Kakarot said sternly, pointing at the cowering alien "Your lord is dead. I want you and all your fellow soldiers off this planet, and I don't want any of you to ever return. And if you tell anyone what happened, make sure they understand that it was a Saiyan who killed Frieza."

"B-but..." the purple alien stammered, his back pressed to the wall "W-we can't fly the ship, one of your friends blew a hole in the observation window."

Without even looking, Kakarot fired off a golden strand of light from his fingertip. With his Magic Materialisation ability, it didn't take much to repair the hole in the ship, the observation window looking good as new in no time at all.

"Now go. And never come back to Namek. The Guardian of Earth commands it." Kakarot said gruffly, before stomping up. Sure enough, as soon as he was off the ship, it started flying off into the sky. He didn't care where they flew to or who they spoke to, so long as they understood that Namek was off-limits.

* * *

When he returned to the Capsule ship, a chorus of applause reached him. Kakarot managed to smile, but gave a small gasp of shock when he saw his brother alive and well on the landing ramp of the craft. "R-Raditz...how can this be...?" he asked, his hair going from gold to black and falling down to its normal style.

Raditz smirked and shrugged his shoulders "Guess Frieza had piss-poor aim. You made me proud today, little brother." he remarked. Kakarot pulled his brother in and hugged him tight.

Kakarot nodded, slowly stepping backward. Kami and Yamcha were still gone, but they were lives he could restore. He walked up the ramp, trying to reach Bulma, before the fatigue fully took his body and he collapsed onto one knee. Bulma rushed to embrace him, tilting his eyes up to meet her gaze.

"I knew you could do it..." she said softly, before pressing her lips to Kakarot's own.

* * *

_It had taken some time to undo all the damage that Frieza and his army had caused on Namek. Dende had managed to restore Porunga, and the once Earth's Dragon Balls wished back all those who had been killed by Frieza and his men on Namek (Yamcha and Kami included.) Dende transferred ownership of the balls to another Namekian, an older fellow named Moori._

_After that, well things became slightly more normal back on Earth. Tien had working on the Kaioken technique, testing a hypothesis of his on perfecting the ability. Yamcha and Krillin went back to training against each other. Nam had purchased a gravity-chamber capsule from Dr. Briefs, and in the time he had spent on Earth he had been training and trying to master the Kaioken. The fruits of his training were quite clear to see._

_Yajirobe said he was more or less retiring from fighting after what a pain in the ass the Namek trip had been. Jeice and Burter were staying on Earth for the time being, having what they called a vacation now that they were free of Frieza's rule. They made sure to train of course, not wanting to be outdone so casually, like they were last time._

_True to her word, Chi Chi had told Raditz of her feelings for him once back on Earth. Of course, the concept of dating was alien to the both of them, they were certainly trying hard. In addition, Raditz had also made sure to meet up and train with Kakarot. Unfortunately, the ability to become a Super Saiyan was illusive to him, a power that taunted him with his inability to unlock it._

_In-between bouts of training with Kami and Raditz, Kakarot was also buying dozens of books about fatherhood and how to be a parent. Unfortunately, so many of these books gave contradicting advice on how to be a parent. In the end he decided he's experiment and see what turned out best, focusing more on helping Bulma along with her pregnancy as time went on._

_After she gave birth, Kakarot now had to manage his time alot better, alternating between training, his duties as Guardian, and taking care of his offspring._

_After a peaceful year, things seemed as if they were going to be normal. However, two months after Bulma gave birth, a new threat was on the horizon._

* * *

Kakarot slowly left the nursery, shutting the door behind him as quietly as possible. "Well, that's the diapers dealt with, and naptime has begun again." he said, taking a seat on the sofa right beside Bulma.

"You really do love this average everyday stuff, don't you? Changing diapers, doing dishes, reading books..." Bulma remarked, brushing some strands of turquoise hair behind her ear.

"Hehe...Compared to most of my other responsibilities that stuff is a cynch." the Saiyan replied with a small laugh.

"Honestly, I dunno how you don't just pass out before the end of the day from all the work you do." Bulma remarked.

Kakarot winked and laced an arm around Bulma's shoulders "I'm a Saiyan darling. I've got the stamina of ten men, in case you forgot."

Bulma rolled her eyes at the remark, before leaning into his embrace "I'm fully aware of that dear. Still...if it's nap time, maybe you'd like to join me for a little...nap?" Bulma asked, batting her eyelashes in a playful fashion.

"Well I-" Kakarot suddenly glanced skyward, sensing a pair of tremendous ki signatures heading toward earth. They were dark and evil energies, and so...familiar. "Frieza...?" he asked, his eyes widening slightly.

Bulma blinked in confusion "O-Oh dear..." she murmured. She was unable to sense energy, but she knew full well that something was definitely wrong right now. "If it's serious you better call the others, and go check it out with them."

Kakarot nodded,taking a few moments to don his new gi. The top half was white, with an image of the seven Dragon Balls in a ring on the back of it. On the right breast he had his red Kami kanji. His belt was black, his trousers dark blue, his boots black and covering his shins. He finished adjusting his white wristbands and grinned at Bulma "Don't worry, I got this."

Bulma sighed and kissed his cheek "I love you, don't forget that." she murmured.

Kakarot nodded and popped one window open, before flying off into the air, telepathically contacting the others as he flew. No doubt they had already sensed it too.

* * *

"So you know what the plan is sis?"

"Yep."

"You really don't need me to explain it to you again?"

"Wha-? Of course not! God bro you are such a pain sometimes...We jump out and help fight off King Cold and his son. Then we talk to dad and warn him about everything."

"Good...We'll change the future, we won't let things go so bad. First things first, we have to make sure dad survives."

"Yeah...We're gonna save Kakarot!"

* * *

A/N: Well, were you shocked by that? Next time the debut of King Cold and Cooler...but not all is as it seems, I assure you.

-Zengame: Honestly, I hadn't thought of using Garlic at all...Though that does give me an idea for later.

-Pointer39: They'll have a role later on...a behind-the-scenes type of role, but they'll have their duties.

-Natural Gieling: All will be revealed in due time.


	23. Space and Time

The flying saucer breached the thick cloud layer over the desert, its massive bulk casting a large shadow wherever it went. Inside the ship itself sat a towering mountain of an Arcosian, his long ebony horns pointing straight upward. He slowly swilled his wine glass in his hand as he watched earth through the viewport of the saucer.

At his side stood Cooler, the elder prince of the Cold dynasty...and the true heir now that Frieza had died. "An ugly little marble, isn't it? Even compared to our own world." Cooler said dryly, his gaze focused on the viewport too. He crossed his muscular arms over his ivory chest plates and then glanced to King Cold "Remember our deal father, I get to fight this Saiyan first. I have my doubts that any monkey could best one of our family."

King Cold took a long sip of hippocras from the giant glass, and then set it down on the arm rests of his throne. "Hmm...Yes well, if you're willing to risk your neck against an enemy who killed your brother who was far stronger than you, be my guest."

Cooler scoffed and cast his eyes down at the cold metal floor _'When you see what I have up my sleeve, you won't even remember Frieza was alive...'_ he thought grimly.

"In any event, you may throw yourself at the Saiyan first, if he appears. I have a specific target in mind." Cold replied, standing up to his full mountainous height. Frieza's second form had been tall too, but Cold dwarfed that by almost a whole foot.

The flying saucer rumbled as it landed in the centre of a vast wasteland of rock and sand, kicking up small gales and causing one hell of a ruckus. Then it went silent.

Cooler spoke up to one of the communication officers "Organise the men to meet outside. If that Appule fellow was right, then we'll just need to cause some destruction to draw the Super Saiyan out of hiding."

* * *

It was Raditz and Chi Chi who landed behind Kakarot first. Raditz was wearing a navy vest of Saiyan armour and baggy black trousers, while Chi Chi was wearing some gear that looked similar to her fathers old armour. Tailored to fit her slim frame, of course. "You sensed it too huh?" Chi Chi asked.

Kakarot gave a small nod "Yeah. I was certain I killed him, how can Frieza-"

"It's not Frieza." Raditz cut in. "I sensed Frieza's energy go out just as you did, but this one is different. One of them is weaker, for one. If I had to guess, I'd say this is Frieza's brother and father coming to avenge him."

With a small sigh Kakarot stared down at the rocky landscape "I should have figured something like this would have happened, but I was so...enraged, consumed by the mindset of the Super Saiyan that I just wasn't thinking straight at all..."

Tien landed next to the group, wiping a little sweat from his brow "Hm...Felt a little too much strain. Gotta' continue honing the technique..." he muttered to himself. The triclops focused on the group then "Glad to see you guys again. Shame it wasn't under better circumstances."he replied, hands undoing the sash on his tweed robe to reveal his normal Crane school outfit.

"How's Launch?" Chi Chi asked.

"Well enough...she was upset that I had to go deal with this, but she understands my reasons." Tien replied casually.

Burter, Jeice, Krillin and Yamcha all arrived together and were soon mingling with the others, expressing worry over the powers they were sensing in the ship just on the horizon. Kami seemed to just...appear, so stealthy that he avoided detection entirely, and then he was focusing his attention on the distant saucer.

Nam arrived last with a distinct look of worry on his face "My friends, that evil power I sensed earlier...it seems almost like that Frieza creature you spoke about." Nam had certainly grown stronger from intense training alone. At base strength he was a little stronger than Recoome had been on Namek, and now had some decent skill with the Kaioken to boot.

"Not as bad, apparently." Chi Chi replied "Raditz seems to think it's Frieza's brother and father, neither of whom are as powerful as Frieza individually."

Nam frowned and then shook his head "Well...with luck that is true. They shouldn't be able to challenge Kakarot in that case."

There was a sudden whoosh from overhead, and the group all turned to watch an orange Capsule Corp plane fly over and land upon the mesa, a few metres away from the group. Kakarot's jaw dropped slightly when Bulma climbed from the cockpit and dashed toward the group with a grin on her face and the wind rocking her labcoat.

"You didn't really think I'd stay away did you? I missed you transforming against Frieza the last time, like hell am I gonna miss it this time." Bulma said, standing mere inches from Kakarot.

"Wh-bu...What about-" Kakarot stammered out in shock.

Bulma gave an innocent roll of her eyes "Oh relax, mom's in the nursery taking care of everything." Well that certainly didn't fill Kakarot with confidence. He felt uneasy leaving Bunny Briefs in charge of anything...mainly because she never opened her eyes.

Kakarot groaned and cast his eyes upward. He was a god compared to average men, but there was no point arguing with his wife "I...Oh hell, fine. You can stay to watch but stay up here so you don't get hurt." Bulma smirked and slowly pinched the Saiyan's cheek, before he cast his gaze toward the distant figures pouing out of the flying saucer.

"What's the plan Kakarot?" Raditz asked, looking to his younger sibling.

"Well, I'll take on Frieza's brother personally. You and Kami team up and take on Frieza's father. The soldiers all seem to be decently powerful on average, so I want the rest of you to spread out and take care of them." Kakarot explained.

Those gathered nodded in agreement of the plan, and then they were all off, flying toward the saucer. Bulma pulled a pair of binoculars from one coat pocket and focused on the distant patch of orange rock, awaiting the battle to begin.

* * *

The PTO army had all stood to attention once the scouters detected the incoming energy signatures. For the time being no attacks were fired, not even when the Z-warriors all landed directly across from the PTO soldiers. Coolers eyes seemed to instantly narrow on Kakarot when he saw him...what was so familiar about this young man?

Frieza's fourth form had been short compared to the Saiyan, but not so with Cooler and Cold. Cooler was a lanky creature, a head taller than Kakarot, and King Cold was half a giant compared to the Saiyan.

"I take it you're here for revenge against me...?" Kakarot asked, glancing between the two Arcosians.

Cooler shrugged "Not exactly. If anything I should be thanking you, you saved me the trouble of killing Frieza off later in life...Still, I am curious to meet an individual powerful enough to kill my little brother...Of course, we do need to make an example out of you, can't have talk of rebellion growing too much now that my little brother is gone." he added, gesturing to the video probe hovering over the flying saucer.

"Oh, where are my manners? My name is Lord Cooler. And this is my father, King Cold." the lanky Arcosian said.

"Why are their names all puns off of cold stuff?" Krillin whispered to Raditz.

"How the hell should I know? All Saiyan names are puns off of vegetables for gods sake?" Raditz replied with a small huff.

Kakarot ignored the banter, focused solely on Cooler for now "Sir, if you mean to cause trouble on Earth, I'll have to ask you to leave..."

Cooler stood as still as a statue, before a smirk etched onto his face "Make me, monkey." the sudden telekinetic blow to the face had caught Kakarot off guard, sending him hurtling several dozen metres away before he managed to right himself. Cooler dashed forth with superhuman speed and the two warriors began to clash at such speed that they were invisible to the naked eye.

Just like that, an all-out brawl had broken out between the PTO and the Z-warriors. With an animalistic snarl King Cold lunged at Raditz and smashed him in the face, sending him soaring into the distance and crashing into a distant spire of stone. He took off after the long-haired Saiyan, and Kami followed after with his body bulked up by his psuedo-transformation.

Chi Chi was fighting off about five Planet Trade soldiers at once, deflecting and parrying their high speed attacks. Krillin and Yamcha were fighting together against one of Cooler's Elite, a lanky red-scaled frog alien that seemed capabl of keeping pace with both of the human warriors.

Jeice had found his own foe very quickly, another member of Cooler's Armoured Squadron, another Brench that he knew from the past named Salza. "Take this ya sissy bastard!" Jeice yelled, kicking the blue-skinned alien in the face with enough force to smash him through several boulders stuck up from the ground.

While Burter blitzed his way through several of the PTO soldiers trying to dogpile on him, about six of the soldiers leapt up and tried to crash down on Nam. By the standards of the old power level system, these people had power levels ranging from 19'000 to 51'000. Nam flared his white aura to a crimson Kaioken x5 aura and then he fired off a bolt of fire that exploded and engulfed the group, rapidly reducing them to ash to be scattered by the wind. A great increase in power indeed.

The third and last member of the Armoured Squadron, a green-skinned beast of a man named Doore, rushed at Tien, snarling and pulling a fist back with a punch that could potantially splatter his skull.

In a flash Tien's skin was bathed in a pale scarlet glow and he was suddenly right behind Doore, the giants punch going wild. "Speed increased by 35." Tien remarked, before kicking Doore in the back with such force that he was sent yowling face first onto the ground, a large crack in his armour. "Strength increased by 28."

"What are you blathering about?!" Doore snapped, glaring at Tien in wide-eyed fury. "Shut the hell up!" Doore snapped, firing off a beam of purple light that engulfed Tien and struck him at point blank range. Once the blast faded, Tien didn't even have a scratch, just red light crackling around Tiens body as a thin film, a faint outline.

"Durability increased by 31. New technique seems to be working out nicely." With that, Tien's arm glowed red and with a casual swing of his palm he decapitated Doore.

* * *

Cooler and Kakarot were flitting about at impossibly fast speeds, each collision between the both of them releasing a shockwave the cracked the ground directly below them. Arcosian and Saiyan continued their bloody dance, and for a brief moment Cooler felt he was matching kakarot blow for blow.

Kakarot knew better however. He knew that Frieza's sibling was nowhere near as strong as Frieza had been at the peak of his power. If anything Cooler wasn't even putting out 50% of the power Frieza had shown. And Kakarot had only grown stronger since Namek. Transforming into a Super Saiyan would just be overkill.

With a firm kick to the jaw, Kakarot sen Cooler hurtling downward until he crashed flat on his back in the dirt. He flipped back just in time to avoid a white blast of ki from Kakarot that widened the crater his body had formed. Kakarot lunged forth and swung a downward chop that was nimbly dodged by Cooler, who responded by striking Kakarot into the ground with his tail.

Suddenly the Arcosian lord raised both hands high above his head and filled them with a glorious orb of golden light, which he promptly flung down toward Kakarot as a beam of red-hot ki.

The beam of ki exploded against the earth with a tremendous explosion, forming deep fissures in the earth and setting the landscape aglow. As the smoke began to clear, Cooler admired the destruction his Death Flash had wrought...until he saw a golden bubble of ki in the deepest pit of the crater. "A ki shield...?" Cooler remarked aloud.

No sooner had the ki barrier dispersed than Kakarot was upon his foe, holding back less now, hammering the Arcosian through the air with rapid punches and kicks. Coolers attempts to counter were futile, being nimbly dodged and weaved around by the much faster foe.

His elbow drove forth only to be caught by Kakarot's fist, and having learned from his past mistake Kakarot dashed sideways to avoid a stab from Coolers tail. The Arcosian fired off two searing hot bolts of red ki that exploded against the exposed portion of Kakarot's chest and giving him a little breathing room...for a brief while, at least.

Both of Kakarot's feet buried themselves into Cooler's abdomen, making him retch in agony, his eyes bulging from his skull. With lightning-fast speed he gripped Cooler by the tail and flung him away, before dashing after him, intercepting him quickly before kicking him straight down into the ground. Coolers injured body soared down until it collided with a plateau of rock and smashed it into a fine brown dust on impact.

Kakarot slowly landed directly behind the downed Arcosian, who was slowly climbing up out of the rubble. His white and purple flesh had a few dark marks on it, but no injuries that would be lasting or fatal.

"I wanted to show you that this is a fight you can't win. I haven't even used my Super Saiyan form yet, and I'm already far stronger than you...at this point I've surpassed Frieza by a good margin, and he was far stronger than you." Kakarot explained, watching Cooler closely. "This is your last warning, don't make me destroy you."

Cooler was silent for a moment, his back turned to Kakarot. Then his body began to shake slightly, and a few seconds later he threw his head back in full-blown laughter. Kakarot stepped back warily...what could he possibly find so funny about all this?

Cooler turned to face the Saiyan, lazily wiping some blood from his lip with the back of his hand "Yes, I can see it now...You certainly do have the strength to beat Frieza, and in this state I certainly can't hope to win...But I do have another form, a transformation that not even my father knows of..."

Kakarot's eyes widened at the reveal, but then they quickly narrowed in scrutiny "I have my doubts about that."

"Ah, well allow me to show you. No doubt you saw my brother in a form such as the one I'm in now. This is our fourth and 'true' form, the body all Arcosians are born with. Of course due to our naturally high power levels we have sealed forms so we can walk amongst others without accidentally destroying our surroundings." Cooler explained, sliding his three-pronged feet together and holding his arms out at his sides. "But...recently I found a new form by investigating the tomb of one of my ancestors, and I found out exactly how to unlock it."

Suddenly his eyes turned into solid pools of crimson, and large tremors began to rock the surrounding wasteland. "Brace yourself, monkey!" Cooler snapped, a powerful shockwave of purple energy knocking Kakarot over two dozen metres away until he skidded to a halt.

He sensed it, sensed the powerful rise in Coolers ki, and could only watch from a distance as Coolers body grew and twisted. A crown of ivory horns grew back from his head, his whole body grew almost a foot in height and his muscles all bulged out. Eventually Kakarot had to transform to withstand the onslaught of power, and then he stood fully to watch Cooler finish his shift. A mask of ivory, almost like solid bone, clamped over his mouth, leaving his glowing red eyes visible to see.

Cooler took in a breath, and despite the raging battles going on in the distance these two warriors seemed only capable of focusing on each other. Then Cooler pushed off the ground and started hammering Kakarot with punches and kicks, immediately forcing Kakarot onto the defensive. Every block sent massive cracks in the earth directly below, and Kakarot was awestruck by the physical might of this Super Arcosian.

Suddenly Cooler's knee drove up into Kakarot's ribs, winding him and making him gag in pain, before a powerful strike from the back of Coolers knuckles semt Kakarot spiralling skyward.

"Where's your arrogance now, Super Saiyan? I thought you were going to destroy me!" the towering Arcosian mocked, dashing up at Kakarot.

The Guardian's golden aura exploded outward, the force halting Cooler for only a fraction of a second, before Kakarot started firing off a barrage of blue balls of energy from his outstretched right hand, exploding against Cooler repeatedly. Despite all the direct hits and the power of the blasts, they were doing little to slow Cooler's charge.

The Arcosian swooped up through thick plumes of smoke and cracked his tail like a whip, striking Kakarot across the face and sending a cloud of spittle past his lips. With surprising speed for a creature of his stature, Cooler managed to dash up and then drove his elbow down between Kakarot's shoulders with enough force to make him smash face-first into a mesa, splitting it in half on impact.

"Oh fifth form, if only I'd found out about you before Frieza went on that stupid voyage to Namek. Then I could have killed my little brother instead of relying on stupid chimps to do my dirty work for me.."

* * *

Raditz and Kami struck as one, both their fists moving together as they smashed into Cold's exposed chest, shattering away the battle armour he was wearing as if it were as fragile as porcelain. The blow staggered him back slightly, but he was quick to counter, rapidly intercepting the two fists being swung up his way.

Cold swung his foes by the arms and smashed their heads together once, twice, and then thrice before flinging Kami downward through the sky and focusing his punches on Raditz.

His giant fists moved like blurs, ivory fists striking Raditz about like a ragdoll, before delivering a firm kick that sent him swooping downward. The ruler of the galaxy spent a moment to catch his breath now that his foes were away, before a wicked grin crossed his face. "It takes two of them to hold up against this form...so let's see how they handle this body when it goes to stage three."

Cold dug deep inside himself, grunting and growling as his white and purple aura began to crackle along his body. His ki began to surge wildly, his ruined armour exploded off of his body, spikes began to grow along his back and his head began to warp and twist into a long sausage shape.

"Ngh...c-crap..." Kami muttered as he stood up fully. "Raditz, with me! We need to hit him with everything, if my guess is right then he might just be as strong as Frieza at his peak if he finishes transforming!" Kami exclaimed.

"I don't doubt that..." Raditz replied, pushing both hands forth and forming a swelling orb of ki between his palms, just as Kami took aim with one hand and formed a sphere of golden energy. "DIE!" Raditz exclaimed at the top of his lungs, both beams surged up and then collided against King Colds form in the skies above, creating a violent flash of light that then warped into a thick net of smog in the sky.

But it wasn't enough.

Once the air began to clear they could see a crackling field of energy, a barrier that had absorbed the brunt of the attack and then dispersed to reveal King Cold's third form. It was much like Frieza's own, save for being slightly larger and having murky green bio-gems instead of purple ones.

With blinding speed, Cold dashed to the ground. He took care of Kami first, pummeling him with high speed punches that left dark purple bruises, visible under his torn white gi. A firm tail swipe and he was sent hurtling across the dust, smashing into a large mesa that left his body embedded within it, trapped for now and groaning in pain.

Raditz struck him in the lower back just above his tail, still carrying enough force to make King Cold stagger forward slightly but not enough to really harm him. Raditz kept firing off punches and kicks that staggered Cold back slightly, before the ruler of the galaxy gave an annoyed grunt and sent Raditz soaring backward with a powerful punch to the face.

The long-haired Saiyans body skidded along through the earth, forming a deep trench with his body before he came to a halt. He groaned weakly and tried to sit up "One punch and it feels like my head was ripped off...Fuck..."

Cold slowly began to float up into the air, glowering down at Raitz "Now...I'll have...My revenge!" he snapped in a booming, distorted voice as he raised one hand high above his head. Raditz eyes widened in shock as a blazing orange Supernova attack began to grow above his raised fingertip, growing and growing, akin to the attack Frieza used to destroy Planet Vegeta.

The connection between the two, the thought made Raditz heart stop in his chest, sent chills up his spine, made his eyes widen in shock and horror. Something inside him just snapped at the possibility _'No. Not again. Never again.'_

"I lost one home in the past...And I refuse...to lose this one too..." Raditz grunted. His body seemed to be moving on its own now, lurching up onto his feet. His eyes cast up at the looming attack that could destroy the earth, and he could feel an immense rage burning in his body. His veins slowly began to pop up as his muscles strained with power, and the Saiyan thought of everyone he ever lost, and everyone he could lose if he were to fail here and now.

"**NEVER AGAIN!"** Raditz screamed at the top of his lungs, a dome of golden light surging from his body and forming a pillar of golden light that stretched up into the sky. King Cold's eyes widened in shock, watching as Raditz' hair turned from ebony to gold, and then the various spikes on his long mane began to spike up slightly as he finished his shift into a Super Saiyan.

"Oh...of course..." Cold grunted in annoyance, before flinging the inflated ball of ki down through the air toward the newest Super Saiyan.

Raditz gave a loud yell and shot one arm forth, firing off a beam of white light with arcs of purple lightning coiling around it. The beam struck the incoming Supernova, halting it dead in its tracks. Then the blast began to flare in intensity until it drilled straight through the orange blast, causing it to explode into a glorious shower of fireworks. But the energy wave kept going until it struck cold himself, exploding against his exposed flesh and making the whole sky flash white for just a moment.

Then Colds body began to fall from the sky with a smoky trail behind it, crashing into a tall platform of stone. Raditz lingered for a moment, huffing for breath, and then with a loud yell he dashed through the sky, heading to where Cold had crash landed.

* * *

Kakarot's boot drove into Coolers ribs, sending the giant Arcosian staggering backward. Again, both were oblivious to the battles all around them. Faintly, Kakarot registered a massive change in his older brothers energy, but for the moment that didn't matter. The Super Saiyan leapt up and punched Cooler in the jaw, sending him skidding back further and spreading cracks up the ivory mask on his face.

Cooler responded in kind, swing a long keg up and booting Kakarot in the face, sending his body spiralling upward into the sky. With superhuman speed he intercepted the Saiyan and linked both his hands high above his head, before swinging them down like a sledgehammer, striking Kakarot in the lower back and knocking him into the earth, cracking it on impact.

Before Kakarot could get up again, Cooler had dashed straight downward and stomped on Kakarot's chest, making him yowl in agony as his whole body was forced deeper into the earth. Cooler shot up into the sky, a crackle of lightning forming on his hands "Hmph...I better put an end to this before he gets up again..." Cooler began to charge his blast, and Kakarot began to push himself up from the crater his body had been smashed into, when a yell caught both of their gazes.

"**POWER POLE EXTEND!"**

The end of the read bow-staff caught Cooler on the cracked half of his bone mask, shattering it fully and then sending the giant Arcosian swooping down until his whole body was sprawled in the dirt as Kakarot was mere moments ago.

But Kakarot paid Cooler no mind for now. His eyes came to rest on the two figures floating in the air. Teens, both of them. Maybe 17 or 18, a boy and a girl. The boy was the one holding the red staff that retracted in his hand, while on her belt the girl had what looked to be a sword...Yajirobe's, Kakarot assumed. The boy wore a dark brown bomber jacket over a white shirt, and also had black trousers and dusty orange boots. The girl wore a tank top with the Capsule Corp logo on the right breast, and her legs were covered by baggy trousers with a green army camo pattern on them. She wore the same kind of boots as the boy.

But what shocked Kakarot the most about these two, was their hair. The boy had a short spiked up crop of lavender hair, faintly reminiscent of Saiyan hair. The girl had a long flowing wild mane of purple locks, spikes coming up at various points of her hair. She seemed cheery and aloof, but the boy seemed more serious.

There was no denying it.

As impossible as it seemed, they were the spitting image of them.

Kakarot quietly murmured "Those are my kids...my twins..."

"Sup pops?" the lavender-haired girl greeted cheerily, gripping the hilt of her blade.

* * *

Raditz floated suspended in the air directly above King Cold, as the giant slowly picked himself up. The Saiyan couldn't even take in the fact that he had ascended, he was focused solely on Cold right now.

"Ngh...I'll get you...I'll get my revenge." Cold muttered as he stood up. His ivory plates were covered in scorches and burns and he had blood dripping from his fanged maw.

"Revenge for what? Frieza?" Raditz asked flatly, glowering down at the monarch.

Cold shook his head and gave a wheezing laugh "You don't remember me huh...?Not surprising, I'm in a different body this time around." he remarked, sliding into a fighting stance "Then let me tell you who I am."

A massive shockwave of purple light exploded from Cold's body, and Raditz had to flare his golden aura up to avoid being blown away by the force. At the epicentre of the purple dome of ki, he could see Cold's third form glowing white as it began to shift and change, much like Frieza had done back on Namek. Raditz knew he should try and stop this, but he had to choose between holding his ground against the onslaught of power or trying to fire off a last-ditch attack, he couldn't do both.

**"My name..."** Cold grunted as his body began to finish its transformation, smooth, sleek and ivory like Frieza, but with the muscular bulk of Cooler. His power subsided, and raditz could gaze in awe at the terrifying power that had just been released.

**"...Is Captain Ginyu!**" he snapped, shoving off the ground and dashing straight up at Raditz **"AND I WILL HAVE MY REVENGE!"**

* * *

A/N: Blam, bet you didn't expect this. Kakarot had twins, Raditz became a Super Saiyan, and it turned out that King Cold had been possessed by Ginyu. Next chapter, the battle between four Super Saiyans and Arcosian lords, and the reveal of how Ginyu got his new body.

-AlphaShenron: I'll name the twins next chapter, I felt things were getting too big though in this chapter, so I didn't name them this time around.

-Guest: I see no reason to bring Vegeta back.

-VLS: That was a reference to my other story, 'Fall of Lord Frieza' where Goku and Frieza actually do grow to become good friends.

-SuperSaiyanInfinityGohan: I kinda thought it would have been obvous from chapter 2 that this is NOT Goku. He's had a completely different upbringing, a genuine education outside of Martial Arts and knows a great deal more about manners than Goku. As for Bulma, she's fully aware of what Frieza was capable of, she was on Namek. Why wouldn't she let Kakarot go to stop a threat that could turn her entire planet into dust? More to the point, how could she stop him?

-bdouglas666: Nobody dealt with the RRA in this timeline, which will become a major plot-point as you'll see.


	24. The Reveal

A tense silence fell over the battlefield, all warriors present turning to gape in awe when they heard the declaration from the man they thought to be King Cold. Jeice even stopped punching Salza in the face long enough to mutter out "C-Captain...Ginyu...?"

The video probe drifting overhead meant that across the galaxy people became suddenly aware of the deception, that the ruler of the galaxy was in fact possessed by a member of Frieza's elite.

Cooler had pushed himself from the dirt, ignoring the two teens who had attacked him and drove him to the ground, and instead he turned his wrathful glare in the direction of Ginyu, the man who had robbed his fathers body. "You...whelp! What have you done to my father?!"

Ginyu smirked, a feature that looked simply awful to behold on Cold's craggy ivory face. In this form, he must have been twice as strong as Frieza was at 100% "Simple, really." he glanced toward Raditz, the newest Super Saiyan grunting in anger but managing to hold himself back for the time being. "You really should check to see if someone's dead when you get done with them."

"What do you mean?" Raditz asked warily, his body dropped into a fighting stance. The Planet Trade soldiers stood still as statues...should they fight for Ginyu now?

"You stabbed me, but lucky for me you didn't hit anything vital...Still, I lacked the energy to swim after you dumped me in the sea..." Ginyu trailed off and let his hands rest at his hips "But I was fortunate enough, because one soldier from the mothership came to retrieve me...Appule I think his name was..."

His towering frame started to move toward Raditz, the air getting thicker the closer he got "I wouldn't have lived long enough to get to a medicine machine, so I used the last of my strength to switch bodies with the dumb bastard. A weakling, but his body was doing better than my old one."

In a flash Ginyu had crossed the distance and struck Raditz across the face, sending him zooming across the desert until he smashed face first into a large boulder that was destroyed on impact. "When your brother showed up and said Frieza was dead, I figured...Hell, I'm a free man now. I never dared try my body swap on Frieza because he knew all about my body changing powers, so I had to think of someone powerful I could switch with who didn't know what I could do. And then I remembered Frieza's father."

Raditz swiftly jumped to his feet, his golden aura spraying upward, and then he fired off a large bullet of crackling purple light at the rambling body-snatcher. Ginyu lazily lifted a hand up and let the blast explode against his palm, kicking up a massive cloud of dust and rock fragments around him.

"Getting into one of his private palaces was easy enough. Managed to get the body of one of King Colds wine servers after I gave the message of Frieza's death. Of course, I made sure to poison poor old Appule's body before I made the switch, so the old wine server is dead as a doornail too." Ginyu went on, wiping smoke and soot off his slightly burnt palm. "After that, well...I made sure to dope Colds wine just a little bit after he made contact with Cooler for the big trip here. Then once he was sluggish enough I did the old switcharoo. Nobody paid any mind to me vaporising the wine servers body...even though it was King Colds mind inside the weak shell."

"BASTARD!" Cooler snapped, his aura venting up and shattering the land directly below him. He flew forth as fast as he could and fired off a mighty wave of golden ki. However he was far slower compared to his fathers fourth form, and Ginyu was quick to use this to his advantage. With a yell of exertion, a large bubble of purple ki formed around the stolen body, a shield that soaked up the blast. It was a powerful energy wave to be sure, created quite a big explosion and formed a small rim of molten rock around Ginyu...but the captain's shield held firm.

"Oh relax, it's not like he was father of the year or anything. Least of all to you...I know full well how he played favourites with Frieza." Ginyu's ki shield vanished, and with blinding speed he dashed forth and whipped Cooler across the face with his tail, sending him hurtling through a distant spire of rock. Raditz struck Ginyu in the back of the head, making him stagger forth, but before Raditz could continue the assault he was struck backward by a powerful telekinetic burst.

The battle resumed with the same level of ferocity as before, the human warriors, Kami and the two Ginyu deserters, clashing against the large numbers of the invasion force. Ultimately however, it seemed they lacked the strength to compare to Earth's special forces.

For the time being Kakarot decided not to ask how his twins were here before him as fully grown teens, and instead he flew off to help Raditz against Cold. The twins followed swiftly after, and right now Kakarot was unsure if they were Super Saiyans or not.

While Cooler and Raditz got to their feet, Cold savoured the immense power of his stolen body. Something felt off, but for now he ignored it. As far as he was concerned, he was god right now.

Kakarot and the twins helped Raditz to his feet, and the long-haired Saiyan dropped his stoicism just to gape at his niece and nephew. "Y-You're..."

"Your nephew Gohan, yes." the lavender-haired boy replied, hoisting Raditz to his feet "Mom insisted on naming me after the nice old man who helped her so much on the first Dragon Ball hunt."

"Hope ya didn't forget about me uncle." the girl with the bedraggled hair chimed in "Your super-awesome niece, Tanip. Dad made sure to give me a Saiyan name. Mainly cause I'm more Saiyan than him." Tanip said, gripping her sword hilt and gesturing to Gohan.

Raditz grunted and focused on Captain Ginyu, beckoning for the two Super Saiyans to come strike him. "We'll sort this out later, but for now..." he dashed forth, a stream of golden light behind him. Kakarot was quick to follow him.

Gohan glanced to his sister, who was grinning as she watched the two Super Saiyans flying off. "Should we join in and show off?" Gohan asked, thumbing the Power Pole on his back.

"Not yet." Tanip replied swiftly "I want to see dad fight, just a little longer."

"So...you transformed?" Kakarot asked bluntly, flying side-by-side with his brother. Ginyu stood still as an ivory statue, not making a move to dodge or even block against the incoming Saiyans.

Raditz gave a small shrug as they flew "I saw he was about to launch an attack that coulda' destroyed the earth and I just lost it. That must've been the emotional trigger I needed."

Kakarot nodded and then focused on Ginyu, swinging a kick out "Well good to know."

Ginyu rapidly blocked the incoming force, the impact making him skid back a few inches. But he didn't move in time to stop Raditz' attack, his fist driving into the murky green bio-gem on the body-snatchers stomach, making him gag slightly in pain.

Quick as a flash, Raditz weaved backward to avoid an incoming swipe from Ginyu's ivory fist while Kakarot spun around to drive his heel into Ginyu's lower back, the force of which caused him to stumble forward. Raditz delivered a harsh blow to Ginyu's face while Kakarot clamped both his hands together and swung them into the body-snatcher's ribs, the blows hitting with enough force to release explosive sonic booms.

Ginyu was about to make a counter when Cooler suddenly burst from the rubble several feet away. "Die you traitorous garbage!" Cooler snarled, firing off a swirling beam of red and black ki that struck the three in a powerful explosion and sent them hurtling in different directions.

The former captain spiralled through the air a few times before managing to land on his feet "Oh that's it you little shit, just for that I'm taking your part of the empire too when I get done here..." Once again, that sense of fatigue was coming over his stolen body, and he still couldn't account for it.

* * *

Chi Chi's Ox Charge cause her body to explode in a burning crimson light as she drove her shoulder into one Planet Trade soldiers stomach, the impact sending him flying through a large crowd of troopers who all collapsed into a large , unconscious, made no difference. They were defeated either way.

The Ox Princess took a moment to glance about at the remains of the invasion force. Krillin and Yamcha were finishing off the lanky creature known as 'Neiz'. Kami was blowing away one crowd of attackers with a casual kiai, Burter sat upon a mound of bodies...Yeah, the small fries were taken care of.

"Think we should get over there?" Tien asked, landing beside Chi Chi and gesturing toward the battle against Ginyu. Rather titanic, they were still feeling aftershocks from the clashes even this far out.

"I dunno man..." Chi Chi replied. "Right now those guys are way stronger, we'd just get in the way...or worse, accidentally killed by one of their attacks." the young woman trailed off "I've been practising the Spirit Bomb alot more since we returned to Earth. This planet has alot more energy to give than Namek does...Maybe a Spirit Bomb will do the trick."

Tien seemed unconvinced, slowly rubbing his chin in thought "I'm not so sure. We tried using it as a trump card against Frieza, and all we did was tire ourselves out...and you can feel just how much stronger Cold is."

"Couldn't hurt to have the attack on standby, just in case." Chi Chi replied, raising her hands up. In the sky a bove her, a ball of blue and white energy slowly began to form, the forests, seas and tundras of the world giving life force to the ball. "If our Saiyan friends fail then we'll at least have something to try." the princess added.

* * *

Raditz swung a kick down at Ginyu's towering frame, but his goot was swiftly caught. Wielding the long-haired Saiyan like a club he started to smash him back and forth through the dirt, before throwing him into the incoming Kakarot.

As the two Saiyans were sent hurtling away, Ginyu leapt back and started to weave a rapid-fire assault from Cooler. The lanky Arcosian was yelling in unintelligable rage, which made dodging his blows all the easier. Cooler managed to drive his knee into Ginyu's ribs, sending him skidding backward and leaving a dark purple bruise on his chest.

Ginyu skidded back and swung his body to avoid a kick from one of Cooler's lanky legs. A bolt of red ki fired from his eyes and burnt into Cooler's white chest plates, making the giant shriek in agony and leaving a charred black diagonal burn on his chest.

While Cooler writhed about in the air, Ginyu short forth like a bullet and kicked him clean through a plateau of solid rock. "Ngh...Why am I starting to feel so tired...?" Ginyu muttered.

He heard the whistle of someone flying his way, and he quickly spun around to block an incoming punch from Raditz that shattered the earth directly below them. The long-haired Super Saiyan started firing off lightning-fast punches and kicks that the towering Arcosian was able to block or parry with one arm.

However, as he was so focused on blocking the assault from Raditz, Ginyu was unable to reach in time when Kakarot dashed forth and drove his fist into the bruise on Ginyu's chest, making him gag in pain. Kakarot and Raditz hammered him with furious storms of punches and kicks, and whenever Ginyu tried to block one of them he'd wind up with at least two new bruises from the other brother. He was looking more purple than white right now.

Ginyu yelled in rage and fired a lime green ki ball from both his hands, exploding against the chests of the Saiyan brothers and sending them hurtling away from the stolen body. "Grgh...Fucking Saiyan monkey's...God damnit, why do I feel so tired?" he asked aloud.

"You clearly know nothing about Arcosian biology!" a voice yelled out. Ginyu spun and glared upward to see Cooler in the sky "My father hasn't used his fourth form in what must have been decades! It's not used to the strain you're trying to put on it, and it's tiring you out quickly!" the Super Arcosian said with a cackle.

A blazing orange Supernova attack started to rapidly grow above Coolers upraised hands "And now, the advantage is mine and I'll have my victory!" Cooler flung the blazing orb of energy downward, setting the landscape aglow with various shades of red and orange.

Ginyu raised both his hands up and gave a loud yell "I don't need 100% of my power to kill you!" he spat, firing off a large beam of pale green and light blue ki.

The two energy blasts clashed in the air, kicking up large gusts of wind from the power behind their collision. The attacks seemed to be equal in power for a few moments, neither gaining ground on the other...until Ginyu's massive wave suddenly forced Coolers Supernova upward at a steadily increasing pace. Then Ginyu's attack suddenly doubled in force, shoving the attack up until it struck Cooler and started moving him upward.

Cooler yelled in agony and shock as he was carried up past the clouds, the sky returning to its normal blue hue. There was a sudden flash that painted the sky red as the two energy attacks exploded in outer space...and just like that, Cooler was out of the fight.

There was a crash of thunder and lightning, an explosive force that could have demolished an entire city block smashing into Ginyu's back and sending him skidding forth. Still hadn't learnt how to sense energy, he'd need to get onto that.

He spun only to find Kakarot driving his heel into the body-snatcher's throat "I will not..." his fist smashed Ginyu across the face and sent a misty cloud of blood past his lips "Stand for..." his knee drove up and struck Ginyu in the face with such force that he was launched several dozen metres up into the air "Attacks against my planet!"

Ginyu gave an enraged snarl and managed to correct himself in time to dodge a dropkick from Raditz. The giant spun his body and smashed the sole of his three-pronged foot into Raditz back, sending him hurtling down to the ground. Then his gaze shifted to Kakarot, flying straight toward him like a gold bullet.

Ginyu quickly raised one finger up and started firing off a barrage of Death Beams, wildly inaccurate ones compared to Frieza's normally well aimed blasts, each beam striking up a booming explosion in the distant horizon.

As Kakarot flew something was gathering in his hand, a crackling sphere of blue and gold energy. Finally he flung it toward the body-snatcher with a triumphant yell of "Sparking Meteor!"

The Saiyan's signature attack soared through the air like an arrow of light, but Ginyu managed to compose himself enough to smash the blast downward toward the crater Raditz had formed with his body.

The long-haired Saiyan gave a grunt and started dashing just as the blast struck the earth. He was struck by the backlash of the ensuing explosion and sent tumbling through the dusky landscape until his body wound up crashing into a large mound of orange stone.

"You'll have to try harder than that, you stupid Saiyan chimp!" Ginyu spat, before dashing toward Kakarot, faster than the Saiyan could react to. Ginyu hit him with a firm kick across the face that left Kakarot seeing stars. Then his ivory knuckles took a firm grip on Kakarot's golden hair, holding him firm while punching him repeatedly in the stomach. Then he gave a loud yell and flung the dazed and wounded Super Saiyan down to earth until his body skidded along the dust, forming a deep trench.

Ginyu smirked that awful, wicked smile of his, and then he pushed one palm out slowly. "You and your kind...Killing the majority of you apes was one of the best things that Frieza ever did." a crackling orb of pink and purple light bloomed in the former Captain's hand "The galaxy has no need for full-blooded monkey's like you..." he sneered.

There was a whistle, faint like the noise of an arrow whistling through the winds. It was swift and brutal, a sword slicing through Ginyu's outstretched arm at the elbow. A shock settled over Kakarot, watching the ivory limb fall to earth. Ginyu seemed even more shocked, just...staring at the stump that had at one point been his stolen arm. Kakarot's gaze slowly panned to the right of Ginyu.

She floated aloft in the air, grinning an eerie grin, holding a bloodied katana in one hand. Her lavender hair was now golden and the unruly portions of it now spiked up all the more. "I'd say the galaxy could still do with some half-blooded Saiyans."

"T-Tanip, you can...Transform?" Kakarot asked in awe.

"I most certainly can." the teen Super Saiyan replied, flashing her father a thumbs up.

Finally Ginyu seemed to snap from his shocked daze, his face twisting into a mask of intense rage. "You little bitch!" he screamed, spinning to blast her with his remaining arm...only for the power pole to suddenly strike the top of his head and send him crashing down through the air with a trail of alien blood following behind him.

"G-Gohan too?" Kakarot asked aloud, watching his son float to his sisters side, his short crop of spiky hair glowing with the same golden light. Gohan merely nodded to his father in response.

Ginyu's hulking frame was slowly easing itself up, grunting in pain. The twins were dashing straight toward him, he could hear that well enough. He leapt to the air and pitched in the air, blindly firing off a thick wave of crimson ki. The brunt of the attack hit Gohan and knocked him back, but Tanip was still lunging toward him with that bloodied blade glinting a darker red from the light of Ginyu's attack.

"That sword..." Ginyu whispered "That god damn sword!" he hissed, narrowing his gaze at the advancing half-Saiyan. He recalled Namek vividly for a moment, the scents of the sea and the glimmering light of the green sky, and the image of that shining Katana coming straight toward him...Not again!

Two burning beams of energy fired from the former Captain's eyes, but Tanip was quick to raise the glinting blade off and deflect the two blasts off in different directions. Thinking quickly, Ginyu feinted away from a downward slash from the half Saiyan and moved as fast as he could to smash her in the jaw with his ivory fist and launch her away from him.

He raised his remaining arm up an fired a crackling orb of purple lightning after Tanip, the ensuing explosion launching her up into the air. Ginyu was about to press the attack, before Gohan dashed before him and started to rapidly strike him in the gut with the butt of the scarlet power pole.

Gohan's strikes were rapid, precise, and he always seemed to move fast enough to strike at Ginyu's shoulder or thighs to prevent him from moving his limbs for a counter attack.

Finally Ginyu managed to skid back and fired off a powerful telekinetic burst that smashed Gohan in the face and flung him backward, taking several large mounds of earth with him. Suddenly he was struck from his unarmed side by Raditz, a flurry of powerful punches and kicks sending the gradually tiring Arcosian staggering across the desert.

Ginyu managed to weave from one incoming blow and landed a harsh strike from his tail that hit Raditz in the face and sent him spiralling.

"I'm not giving up! I will have my revenge!" Cold snapped, a small Death Ball growing in his remaining hand. The ground around him suddenly started to glow varying shades of red, orange and yellow. Ginyu looked up to the sky and gave a shocked gasp, seeing a large energy wave from Kakarot barrelling hm straight down toward him.

The blast engulfed the body-snatcher in a blazing dome of heat and light. An attack so powerful that tremors from it could be felt for miles around. At the sight of it, Chi Chi stopped gathering energy for the Spirit Bomb and let it disperse. There was no way they could lose with power like that!

When the vibrant flash of the attack faded, the charred and bloodied body of Ginyu slowly staggered from the deep glassed crater. "I will...have my..." he sputtered weakly, collapsing to one knee once outside the crater. "Need a...new body to..."

There was a squelching sound, sudden and vile, as Ginyu was skewered through the stomach from behind by Tanip's sword. A sound escaped Ginyu, a mix of a gagging noise and a pathetic wheeze, before Tanip suddenly pulled the razor-sharp blade upward, tearing through skin, muscle and bone as she cut Ginyu from his naval to the top of his head.

His body fell forth and struck the ground, the two halves spreading open slightly on impact. An Arcosian could survive many things...having their brain halved was not one of them.

"Well. I think he's dead now." Raditz said coolly, firing a wide beam of golden light tht engulfed Ginyu's stolen corpse, leaving it as a bound of ash in the dirt. With that, the four Super Saiyans powered down.

"Now that was awesome." Tanip remarked, sheating her katana.

Suddenly they saw the other Z-Fighters flying in from the distance, their attention focusing in on the two lavender-haired teens. "You guys were amazing! But um...who are these two?" Chi Chi asked.

Kakarot realised that Bulma was likely dying to hear all about these two...and she'd probably faint when Kakarot told her. "You don't remember us Aunt Chi?" Tanip asked, pouting.

"Aunt Ch-..." the Ox Princess trailed off, blinking at the two. Then the resemblance struck her, and she suddenly leapt back. "Th-there's no way!"

"It's true." Gohan cut in, serious and stoic as ever. "We're the children of Kakarot and Bulma. And we've come here from the future."

Kami blinked in awe "You've come back in time? But...how?" the Namekian asked, his normally gaunt and solemn features showing nothing but shock "And more importantly...why come back? Was it to help stop Ginyu?"

"Nah." Tanip cut off with a small wave of her hand "Though the story of why we're here is long and...well, more than a little fucked up."

Gohan gave a small nod and looked over the group "Tell me...how much do all of you know about the terrorist group known as Red Ribbon Army?"

* * *

A/N: Next time, the first half of **History Of The Twins. **Just what have the Red Ribbon Army done to their future?

-Lake Superior: Well, maaaaaybe I borrowed the acronym.

-Prue-Beast: I don't have update schedules for my fics. Too much of a pain to work with.


	25. History Of The Twins (I)

**History Of The Twins 1:**

**If This Be Doomsday**

The Red Ribbon Army. The very name made Tien think back to his old master Tao, one of the most useful assassins for the terrorist cell. It left a bitter taste in his mouth. Then he thought back to his friend Chiaotzu who had vanished so long ago, and that in turn filled Tien with a sense of longing and sadness.

"Yeah, those guys. My dad certainly isn't a fan..." Chi Chi said, glancing between Gohan and Tanip "I know they had a big expansion in northern territories um...Ten years ago? Anyway, they made an uneasy peace treaty with King Furry to prevent war between them and things have been normal ever since. What's the big deal about them?" she asked.

Gohan and Tanip exchanged glances and then Gohan looked to his father "Perhaps we need to go back a bit further. We'll tell you everything Uncle Raditz told us about the past when we were growing up."

"Fair enough. Go ahead." Kakarot replied. This situation was just so odd, but he'd let it all sink in later. His curiosity was piqued and he aimed to learn the truth.

"Okay, so like..." Tanip began, running her thumb lazily over the hilt of her katana "You already know about King Cold being Captain Ginyu and all the jazz. We hung back for a bit because Uncle Raditz was supposed to become a Super Saiyan against him and we just had to make sure that happened, you'll need it in the future." She nodded to her uncle and then continued "Now, dad and uncle did a pretty good job holding him off, but it was clear they couldn't win. So, in a stroke of genius Aunt Chi-"

"Why do you keep calling me that?" the Ox Princess asked abruptly, narrowing her eyes at Tanip. The loopy Saiyaness looked like a deer caught in the headlights, but thankfully her brother stepped in to stop her saying something too stupid.

"We refer to all of you in a similar manner." Gohan replied, his voice showing no hint of dishonesty "Uncle Tien, Uncle Krillin, Grandpa Kami."

Kami bristled at that "Grandpa?!" he asked indignantly, his cheeks purpling slightly.

Chi Chi seemed willing to accept that, but she still looked somewhat wary. Tanip continued on as if the interruption never happened "As I was saying...Aunt Chi formed a big ass Spirit Bomb and hit Ginyu with it from behind, and then the human warriors struck the bomb with a combined energy wave that managed to push him into the sun and killed him." she concluded. Tanip grinned "No casualties."

"So what happened to us after that?" Kakarot asked quietly, a frown on his face "When does the Red Ribbon Army come into the picture?"

Gohan glanced to his father, equally as serious and stoic. Father and son alright. "Soon after Cold was dealt with, these two pointed out the power vaccuum that would come into the galaxy now." he explained, gesturing to Jeice and Burter "All the slaughter and lawlessness and anarchy that would come about after."

Tanip grinned and cut in again "So! You, being the gallant heroic guy you are, set off into the galaxy to make a parliament and restore order to the galaxy."

That certainly came as a shock to Kakarot "And...What about the earth? Was I away from the planet for long? I couldn't leave my post for that long..."

"Well, you didn't have to, thankfully." Gohan replied, placing his hands on his hips. "Thankfully you learned a neat little trick in space that allowed you to easily transmit between Earth and the new parliament instantaneously. You'll get it when the time comes."

"My my...Sounds very handy..." Kakarot replied, stroking his chin slowly "A-anyway, please do go on. What happens next that makes the future so bad?"

The twins exchanged uneasy glances. Whatever they had to say clearly wasn't easy to talk about. Finally, Tanip spoke up "In three years time, you succumb to a heart disease." she began, sounding sombre for a change. Kakarot's eyes widened in shock, as did everyone elses. They held their tongues for the time being. Tanip was quick to continue "It's um...According to uncle Raditz in the future, it's a birth defect that one out of every eight Saiyans suffer from. Usually manifests in adulthood. My brother and I and uncle Raditz, thankfully are immune but you... You died from it, and with you went the Dragon Balls. And since you were comatose, you couldn't transfer them to anyone else...Shenron was gone."

Kami stepped forth. He eyed both of the time travellers and then replied "And what of me? I could restore the Dragon Balls, couldn't I?" Again the twins shifted uncertain glances.

"We'll get to that. We have alot of information to cover..." Gohan cut in. He crossed his arms and gave a shuddering sigh. This would get so much harder to talk about as it went on. "Father, when you went there was chaos in the parliament you founded. While you were never cruel your power kept everyone in line and stopped any potential uprisings or power grabs...but when people found out you died, one man by the name of Kanchapp sowed dissent and discord among the paliament and that erupted into an all out galactic civil war."

"One of the first things you did when you got into power dad, was to cover up and destroy any information relating to the Namekian Dragon Balls, just to stop others from coming after them. However that also meant we couldn't send messages to Jeice and Burter out into space to go get them, because if we did we'd be putting the Namekians in danger again." Tanip explained.

"Even if we did have them, we couldn't bring you back to life because you died of natural causes." Gohan added.

Kakarot stumbled back slightly and then took a seat on one large rock "I...That is alot to take in...Tragic..." his words came out softly, as if in disbelief of everything his future offspring were saying.

Tanip frowned at her father "Trust us, it only gets worse from here on out."

"How so? Things already sound pretty dire." Tien replied. "And you haven't even mentioned where the Red Ribbon come into the picture."

Gohan frowned, looking far older than he actually was. "Yes, I suppose we should get onto that. Soon there'll be an insurrection inside the army, a figure called the Emperor will kill and replace Commander Red. With his power and access to the powerful androids and battle jackets created by Dr. Gero, he'll launch an invasion on other parts of the globe. "

"The worst of them are a group of lieutenants called the Redcoats. His four most powerful androids, and a right bunch of sadists." Tanip cut in, starting to visibly seethe with anger.

"My sister and I never saw the Emperor in person but we know he has some sort of psychic control over the robots and was somehow able to identify all of the most powerful warriors on Earth." the young half-Saiyan suddenly glanced toward Kami "And they started with you."

* * *

It was about a week ago since Kakarot died in his sleep and Kami had still been wandering the world, flying over hills and valleys and cities. He knew he had to return to the Lookout, he knew that he had to take up the duty of Guardian of Earth again, and that he'd need to restore the dragon model of Shenron again. But right now he couldn't bring himself to do that, he was too deep in mourning.

His son had just died.

The Namekian had lived over 300 years, and this tragedy was the worst thing he had endured in quite some time. To his right he could see the sprawling metropolis of South City. He briefly contemplated going down there...but the irony was that the guardian of earth would be a pariah and an outcast among the people of the planet.

Kami let his gaze linger on the city for a few moments longer. It seemed odd for some reason that South City was...glowing?

There was a sudden eruption of energy that lit the horizon all shades of red and orange. A column of fire rose up into the sky from the centre of the city, and Kami watched in a mix of awe and horror as explosions spread across the city.

"What the hell?!" Kami gasped in shock. He couldn't sense any ki signatures at all, so what could be doing this? Didn't matter, he'd know soon enough. Kami's white aura flared up around his body, his white gi flapping up with it, and then he flew toward the city as fast as he could with a powerful sonic boom behind him.

When he reached the city, the chaos was even more horrifying up close. Vents of fire rose up from the skycrapers, the smaller buildings had been utterly pounded into rubble. Large clouds of choking black smoke were billowing up into the sky and forming a massive black cloud, shielding light from shining into the city. Kami's pointed ears were tuned in to the frantic shrieks of the terrified and the dying...Just what the hell was happening here?!

"Well lookie here. I told y'all, if we make a big enough ruckus then one of them would come out of hiding." a deep Southern accent called from the street directly below where Kami was flying. The Namekian turned in the air and let his gazerest on those who had seemingly caused this random carnage.

There were four, and none of them looked alike. The only thing they had in common were their long crimson pea coats, a black version of the Red Ribbon Army logos on the left breast. The one who had adressed him was a noral sized man, probably around Kakarot's height, with steely eyes, a crooked smirk and shoulder-length silver hair. On his head he wore a black officers cap with the RRA logo proudly dispayed on the front of the cap.

To his right stood a midget that Kami almost mistook for a child for a moment due to his stunted stature. His skin was a deep purple, he wore a wide-brimmed black hat and had the most cartoonish sausage lips Kami had ever seen.

Behind those two stood a giant. He had chalky white skin, his face taut and hard with a barely contained rage. His ebony hair, a direct contrast to his snow white flesh, was pulled back into a tight braid that stretched all the way down to his waistline. Even through the baggy fabric of his coat, Kami was willing to bet that this pale giant was built like some sort of Grecian statue.

And beside him stood another giant of a man who was somehow even taller than the ivory titan. Possibly the tallest man that Kami had ever seen! He had caucasian skin and a bright red mohawk of hair that only added to his awesome height. His face was...hollow, almost. Like a face made of porcelain, utterly unmoving. He seemed...sad, almost.

"Are you the ones behind all this?!" Kami snapped, a vein of rage popping up on his green brow. There was something off about these four, he could sense absolutely no energy off of them. It wasn't like they were suppressing their energy, it was more like there was nothing there before him.

The silver haired one gave an icy chuckle and glanced to his companions "You hear that 15? Green bean here wants to know if we did all this."

"Tch. What a dumbass." the purple-skinned stranger, evidently named '15' remarked. "13, why're we wasting time talking? Didn't we come here for a brawl?"

It seemed that the one with the silver hair was called '13'...were they all numbers? Why would they name themselves like that? "Yeah yeah, I'm just tryin' to have a lil' fun is all. Alright, 16, 14, let's get ready to do this. I call first crack at him!"

13 suddenly vanished from view, and before Kami even realised it he was in the air beside him. "How-" Kami' question was cut short when 13's gloved fist cracked him across the face like a bolt of lightning, sending the Namekian crashing through several buildings before he smashed into the pavement of a soot-covered street.

Kami forced himself onto one knee, grunting in immense pain, his chest heaving for breath "So fast...how can he have that kind of speed but be undetectable?" he asked with a grunt. Suddenly the one called 13 was floating above him, a sadistic grin on his face. kami had been training and growing stronger, but he still couldn't see 13's movements at all right now.

"I'll let ya in on a little secret Green Bean." the southerner remarked slowly rotating through the air until he was floating upside down "Me and my friends ain't even human. We're androids...you can call us redcoats."

"Androids...?" Kami asked, standing up fully. That would explain the lack of an energy signature...but what was making them so powerful?

13 dashed forth again and drove his knee into Kami's face, launching him up into the sky until he managed to right himself. Then 15, the midget, slammed into his back with a powerful shoulder charge, making Kami yell out in agony. His small fists packed quite an impact as Kami soon learned, rapid fire punches striking him in the back and staggering him through the air.

Kami managed to gather his wits long enough to swing an elbow back into 15's face, shattering his sunglasses and sending him careening through the window of nearby building. The respite was brief, 14 came at him yelling like a mad beast and drove his gargantuan fist into Kami's face, launching him downward through the air.

13 suddenly intercepted him and kicked him up into the air, and then 14 punched him back down again. He was knocked back and forth by the two malicious machines, being beaten bloody back and forth like a green soccer ball.

One of 14's giant hands wrapped around Kami's ankles and flung him into a nearby skyscraper. Kami smashed clean through several storeys of the building before he crashed face first into the asphalt again, skidding face-first to an incredibly painful halt.

With a huffing breath Kami got to his feet and dropped into a shaky fighting stance. His clothes were covered in tears and tatters, and he could feel hot purple blood oozing from cuts across his body. "I don't plan on dying today..." Kami growled. His muscles bulged and his white aura shot up around his body. His size and muscle mass increased abruptly, swelling until his giant Namek ability left him three times larger than normal.

Maybe with a tripled power level, he stood a chance...maybe.

14 dashed at him like a bolt of lightning, but Kami raised a large arm in time to block the incoming punch, the ground shattering beneath him from the impact. Kami punched the android across the face and then just as quickly he struck him with the back of his knuckles. As the ivory giant was reeling back, Kami's large fist smached into his ribs and sent him crashing into a car that was crushed under his tremendous weight.

While Kami couldn't sense 13, his pointed ears could certainly hear him coming. The Namekian shot one arm up, stretching it out at a ludicrous speed and driving his fist into 13's face, catching the android off guard. His elongated arm caught 13 by the ankle and then smashed him into the pavement, shattering it to bits on impact.

Just as Kami retracted his arm he was struck from behind by 15. The midget was ludicrously fast, striking Kami from all sides like a pinball and his small frame made him even harder to catch. 15 kneed Kami between the shoulder blades and then grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt as he fell forward, before flinging him down one long street at incredible speed.

Kami flipped through the air and managed to land feet-first at the end of the road, his heels grinding up the asphalt on impact. Kami glanced to his side and saw a small crowd of cowering citizens, watching him with wide eyes filled with terror. "Go, run!" the Namekian ordered. He turned his head again and saw 13 firing off a red wave of energy just as the crowd started running.

The wave approached Kami as fast as an attack from Frieza himself, and the Namekian quickly shoved his hands out in an attempt to cushion the blast from the citizens. Then, abruptly, it swerved around his body and struck the civilians, vaporising them in a massive wave of fire.

Kami stared at the sight, moouth agape. Nothing remained of those people, who they were or what they did in life. They probably awoke that morning with the bet of intentions, and in the blink of an eye they were gone. Poof.

"Whoopsie. I think my targetin' optics must be malfunctioning." 13 remarked with an icy chuckle.

Kami's gaze lingered, unmoving from the spot where once stood many. How many more would die if these machines weren't stopped? Ah...But even individually, Kami probably could not win. And with their numbers he had zero chance of a victory.

'Kakarot would never give up.'

That thought was enough to spur Kami into action. "I'll fight to my last breath to keep these people safe...no matter how futile..." the towering Namekian growled, flying forth as fast as he could.

A gold bullet of ki flew from Kami's fanged maw and exploded against 13's chest, flinging him backward a few metres. His pointed ear twitched from an incoming noise, and Kami shot his leg out and kicked the incoming 15 into the husk of one small burnt house. 14 was on him like a bolt of white lightning, and Kami desperately tried to shop at his neck with a sideways chop from his strong green hands...

His hand crunched against 14's upraised arm, like striking a beam of solid steel. Kami's hand bounced backward, and the giant pushed his advantage by punching the towering Namekian in the stomach with enough force to lift his feet a few inches off the ground.

One of 15's massive hands wrapped around the top of Kami's green head, before rapidly flinging him up into the air. As Kami tumbled up into the sky he could see 13 and 15 climbing from the surrounding wreckage, mostly unharmed. Had they been toying with him all this while? Suddenly the Namekian's gaze was focused on the sky and settled on the form of the machine called 16 high above him. How odd, he had avoided the fight thus far.

That sadness still marked his face, as he slowly removed his right forearm with a small *Clink* Beneath that gauntlet that was his fist, behind the area of free space where his red sleeve fluttered about, Kami could faintly see what looked like a cannon.

A bolt of gold light flew from the cannon with such speed that, from Kami's point of view at least, it moved almost instantaneously. It struck the former Guardian in the chest and then blew a hole clean through his torso.

* * *

"When you died, we lost all hope of restoring Shenron..." Gohan said softly. Kami looked white for a moment. How else would you react if you were told how you were going to die? "And it got worse from there. The Red Ribbon Army spread like a virus after that, their power armoured units crushing whatever arms King Furry could push out. The redcoats spearheaded most assaults, making RRA victories laughably easy."

"But they took a real sadistic glee in killing you guys. Made a sport out of it." Tanip remarked. She gestured to Krillin and Yamcha "15 and 14 ambushed you guys at Kame house, slaughtered you guys and Master Roshi and the Gohan my brother was named after. Raditz later retrieved the power pole from the ruins and it came into my brothers possession."

Gohan nodded, gesturing to the pole lazily, before continuing "They killed Yajirobe out in the wastes, and his sword was soon retrieved and given to my sister. Nam died defending his village. Tien...God I don't know how to describe it. It's like the Emperor hated you most out of all of us. When Uncle Raditz found where you died, he found a mangled body and a partially flayed three-eyed skull."

"God..." Tien whispered. A cold sweat had broken across his body. Dying wasn't the worst thing, it was knowing he would die in such a gruesome way.

"And what about me? And Chi Chi for that matter?" Raditz asked. Chi Chi was curious now too. Had she been killed off or did she manage to escape the Androids?

Tanip replied, glancing mournfully at both of them "Well you see...soon after the RRA started their invasion, you moved me, my brother and our mom to Kami's Lookout to keep us safe from the slaughter. You and Aunt Chi took to training both of us, because we were both born with high power levels and had plenty of potential." her voice began to crack slightly, and she had to look away from the two to stop from breaking down crying "You both...did what you could to help people escape the RRA and halt their advance...but in one battle 13 killed Aunt Chi, and then he blinded Uncle Raditz before leaving him for dead...But he should have checked to see if the job was done. Uncle lived on after that incident..."

"We three worked on saving people from the Emperor whever we could and brought them to the Lookout for safety...But after a time we realised that this would never be enough to kill the regime stomping down on us. Mom built a time machine for my brother and I, and we used that to come back here and warn you."

"Enough." Kakarot said sternly, drawing the attention of those around him "I've heard enough for one day, and I think if I hear anymore I'm going to throw up. I appreciate that you came here to warn us, and we'll certainly make preparations...but it seems I'm already doomed no matter what I do."

Gohan, for a change, smiled at his father. "Not quite. Mom has a present for you." he said, reaching for a hard white case on his belt. His hand rummaged inside it for a moment and then his hand pulled out a small vial filled with a purple liquid. "When you start falling ill in three years time, this will be the thing that saves your life."

Kakarot eyed the vial closely, surprised by that reveal. The gears were turning in his head at this point, thinking of precautions he could make to prevent this awful future from coming to be.

"I got a question for you two." Raditz said, stepping past his brother and glancing at the two teens from the future. "How exactly did you two become Super Saiyans? I take it from the way you act that it had something to do with me."

Tanip frowned and focused her gaze on the dusty ground. Gohan looked to his uncle and gave a small sigh "Yes...It happened after you died..."

* * *

A/N: Next time, the second part of History Of The Twins, where we see the oppressive Red Ribbon Regime, and learn the trgic origins of the twins transformation.

-Jack: Cooler and his attack got launched into space, and then his attack blew up in his face. Sort of like the ending to the first Cooler movie.

-NaturalGeiling: Kakarot wanted his daughter to have a Saiyan name. Carrots, burdocks, radishes and turnips all come from the same family of vegetables. I don't see how the name Tanip is some insane leap in logic.

-SSJInferno: Jeice beat him to death off-screen.

-SupersaiyaninfinityGohan: The Gohan of this timeline looks a little like the adult Gohan of canon, but with short spiky purple hair.

-Jokermask18: In canon, Goku wound up crushing the RRA because he was wrapped up in their scheme for the Dragon Balls. In this timeline, Gohan didn't bother looking for the four-star ball again after the Pilaf saga, so the RRA continued to exist and Commander Red got his wish to be taller.

-Ultimate Black Ace: The twins are about as powerful as Trunks was when he originally returned from the future.


	26. History Of The Twins (II)

**History Of The Twins 2:**

**Days Of Future Past**

_18 years into the future._

A thick fog hug in the night sky, shielding the light of the moon from view. Three beings with Saiyan blood stood high upon one rocky hill, their bodies concealed by trees and shrubbery and their energies suppressed as much as possible.

"How many do you make out Tanip?" Raditz asked. His back was pressed to the trunk of one tree and his blind gaze was fixed firmly to the ground beneath him.

Tanip adjusted the zoom of her Capsule Corp-brand binoculars, humming softly as she did the numbers in her head. "Um...Well the four redcoats are down there, rounding up the villager from their houses. No damage to their structures. I see...four of the normal-sized battle suits, and two of the giant ones. About two dozen foot-soldiers armed with assault rifles. No air support or tanks."

Gohan frowned, looking toward the recently invaded village. Even from this distance, the giant machines could be seen quite clearly. Each one stood about 3 storeys tall with gleaming scarlet armour. They had lumbering, freakish proportions with humongous forearms and calves. A single white cyclopic eye was in the head of each giant robot, beaming a spotlight down onto the gathered civilians. Their weapons were all hidden inside the armoured plates for now.

"I can see a decent escape route Uncle." Gohan remarked, glancing to the older Saiyan."There's a train track right beside that village that leads into a mountain tunnel. We manage to get the civilians in there and block the way in, it'll buy us enough time for you to Instant Transmission us back to the Lookout."

Raditz nodded and then slowly moved from the shadows. The ruined gash where his eyes had once been were covered by a red cloth wrapped around his face. On his chest he wore a white version of his old Saiyan armour chestplate with a crudely painted Kami kanji on both the front and the back (Even if he didn't understand the symbol, he knew what it meant to his brother and wore it in his honour). Raditz also wore baggy black trousers, and white Saiyan boots. "I'll try to hold off the redcoats. I want you two to take on the troopers and the robots and then lead the villagers to the tunnel. Okay?"

The two teens nodded to their mentor and uncle and then they started their way as stealthily as they could down the mountain.

* * *

"Hehe...C'mon villagers, get in line! The Emperor wants some fresh meat f'r experiments, and you all have the honour to be his cattle." 13 remarked, grinning as he inspected the crowds of grubby villagers.

The Regime had taken this village under their control months ago but up until now they had no actual use for its population. Still, the Emperor was always sending people to his two doctors for his new experiments, trying to test out some new genetic experiments. He had found creating genetic abominations superior to cybernetic ones. More fun.

13 moved past the crying women, the shivering, wide-eyed children, the men who were alternating between looking enraged and sobbing with their wives. Then one man stepped forth and spat in 13's face, the glob of saliva hitting his cheek.

13 looked as if someone had just kicked him in his non-existent balls. 15 broke out in guffaws of laughter, almost falling off the wall he was perched on. 14 stood still as a statue, unmoving. 16 was oblivious to what was going on, feeding mixed nuts to a squirrel resting in his palm.

"Boy...You ought not to have done that..." the silver-haired android remarked in a guttural growl. His gloved hand shot out, grabbing the man by the jaw and forcing his mouth open with his vice-like grip. "Let's see you do that without a tongue, you stupid son of a bitch."

His other hand reached into the mans mouth, 13's victims attempts to escape utterly futile against the power of the Android. 13 took a firm grip of the villagers tongue...and then he ripped it clean out with one swift yank, a massive spray of blood splattering onto the lighter red sleeve of his coat.

"Hoowhee! Lookie here boys, a big red worm! Let's go fishing!" 13 said with a mad cackle, releasing his grip on the maimed villager who writhed about on the ground, spewing blood from his mouth onto the cold hard ground and giving distorted shrieks of pain. With a dismissive kick, 13 reduced the mans head into a cloud of pulpy red mist, the other villagers shrieking in horror and cowering away from the psychotic Android. "Hmph...Anyone else wanna try and spit on me? Huh?! ANYONE?!"

"Me." a voice called from the darkness. 13 made a noise of confusion, and in his surprise he was struck by a figure moving faster than a speeding bullet, an elbow smashing into 13's face and sending him crashing through several houses.

Raditz' pale purple aura crackled around his body, his blind gaze in the general direction of where 13 had crash landed. "Aw hell...This guy." 15 said, standing up fully and spitting on the ground. 14 gave an enraged growl and dropped into a fighting stance, like a quarterback ready to charge. A golden flash lit up the sky as Raditz transformed into his Super Saiyan state, the sudden shift making the cowering villagers drop to the hands and knees, cowering from the sublime sight.

15 rushed at the Super Saiyan, but he made too much noise with his motion. Raditz swerved, narrowly dodging one of 15's small fists and then he swung a wide kick out that caught the purple midget in the chin and sent him hurtling several dozen metres away. Raditz keen ears perked up, hearing 15 roaring his way, and he was quick to shoot straight up into the air to lead the Androids away from the villagers.

In a way, being blinded had given Raditz many advantages. Of course, it had taken months of extensive training to hone his remaining senses, but when he did he found he could battle the androids quite efficiently.

He could smell the iron in the bodies and the plastic scent of their synthetic skin. He could feel shifts and distortions in the wind when someone moved around him. Raditz could hear any foe when they moved his direction...but best of all, foes would underestimate the blind warrior, allowing him to catch them off guard much easier.

13, 14 and 15 all surged into the air after the Super Saiyan. 16 gently released the squirrel he'd been holding, and then he followed after his cohorts. It fell to the footsoldiers and the mechs to keep the civilians from running off on them.

There was a sudden flash, a blur moving past the crowds of armed soldiers. A second later, 7 of the armed men were cleaved clean in half at the waist, sending fountains of blood spewing across the dirt. The foot soldiers, very obviously startled, sprung to life and started looking around. "Aw shit...the blind guy always has the two teens with him,doesn't he?"

A second later a large red blur struck five of the troopers and sent them hurtling into the horizon. Gohan landed on the ground a few seconds later, retracting his Power Pole. "Yes, he does." he threw a quick glance to the cowering civilians "Make a break for the train tunnel, we'll cover you."

They were quick to comply, making a mad dash for the tunnel. Tanip landed on the ground behind the fleeing civilians, stopping anything pursuing them.

The troopers were quick to raise their guns. But they were only humans with slow and untrained human reflexes, and before they could fire off a single shot Tanip had shot her hand forth and launched a white bullet of energy from her palm that exploded against the remaining troops with enough force to atomise them all.

The smaller mechs rushed in then, one blue power suit driving its fist into Gohan's face and sending him skidding backward from the force. The half-Saiyan swerved around te next punch and drove his staff forward at a blinding speed, smashing the joints in the machines knees, crippling it. Then he gave a loud yell and launched a blazing ball of orange energy from his palm, blowing a hole clean through the cockpit of the mecha.

Tanip tangled against the second smaller robot, two mechanical punches staggering her half-Saiyan girl dashe sideways, narrowly avoiding another blow, and then she quickly sliced the mech suits arm clean in half. Then she lunged forth and stabbed clean through the canop, skewering the pilot and killing him instantly.

At that moment the giants started to lumber forth, each footstep quaking the earth beneath them. Tanip shot forward at one, striking it in its monocular visage with enough force to stagger it back a few steps. Gohan dove at the other, delivering powerful strikes from the power pole that left deep dents in the heavy metal plates of its armour.

They were deceptively fast, and one moved a hand like a red blur, striking Gohan face-first through a small domed house. The other giant raised an hand and fired a blast of red and gold light that struck Tanip and sent her smashing down to the ground, smoking from the new scorches on her body.

It didn't keep the twins down for long, and soon they were dashing for their foes again. A blast of white ki shot from his palm and then exploded against the torso of one giant mecha, the blast tearing and melting clean into the chest of onegiant. Not enough to kill it, but the blast did leave a molten grey crater in the robots chest.

Tanip shot about like a bullet, invisible to the naked eye, slicing at the armoured behemoth everywhere she went, chanting "slash slash slash slash, stab stab stab, cut cut cut..." as the ki charged blade sliced into the thick crimson hull. With a loud yell Tanip dove downward, stabbing her sword clean through the titans eyeball.

* * *

Raditz heard three of them rushing straight tward him at an incredible pace. The air shifted to his left and he swung a boot down, winding up striking 15 in the chin and sending him hurtling away through the air.

A roar from behind him. 14. Raditz spun in 180 degrees and fired off a wide beam of gold light that exploded against the ivory giants chest and knocked him backward.

13 struck him with a kick to the side, cracking Raditz' armour and making him yowl in pain as the blow knocked him sideways through the black sky and took the air from his lungs. He heard the faint noise of an energy blast being charged up, and then he heard the blast whistle through the air toward him.

He couldn't tell...exactly where it was coming from, very problematic. Very quickly Raditz dropped to his fighting stance before giving a loud yell and forming a bubble of crackling golden light around his body, causing the incoming blast to explode against the top of the bubble and force him a few inches downward through the air.

Raditz disersed his barrier and then swooped to avoid an axe kick from 16. He spun his whole body around, his heel striking each of the Androids and knocking them away for some breathing room.

He heard 14 roar again, and he quickly raised his arm where he felt the incoming fist, narrowly blocking the suerhuman blow. 15 drov in and smashed his elbow into Raditz' back, making him yell in agony, only for 13 to kick him in the teeth and launch him down ti the earth, cruching an entire house beneath him on impact.

Three of the Androids were bearing down on him at a blinding pace. It was 14 who launched the first punch, knocking the wind out of Raditz and sending him skidding backward. 15 shot ahead of the others then and gave a firm roundhouse kick that sent the Super Saiyan hurtling back until he managed to land firmly on his feet several metres away.

Thinking as quick as he could, Raditz fired off a blind bolt of energy that miraculously struck 13 in the chest and launched him away. 14 bullrushed him, but with a swift motion Raditz managed to back hand him away. He heard the distinct clink of 16 pulling one of his forearms off to reveal the hidden cannon, and Raditz responded by launching a wide beam of blue light in the general direction, miraculously hitting 16 and sending him tumbling up through the air.

15 was closing in on him, and Raditz could feel the shift in the wind. He could smell the little purple bastard as he drew closer...Now was his chance, he could take 15 solo pretty easily.

Raditz drove a hand forward and speared his fingers clean through the dwarf's chest. 15 gave off a weak crackling noise, his voice modulator shattered by the blow. A surge of gold light ran up along the Saiyan's arms, releasing a powerful explosion that ripped 15 apart and sent his skull, limbs, and sare parts scattering into the dirt.

"Aw shit...The spiky-haired bastard just got 15..." 13 spat.

Raditz was getting ready to rush the first Android ballsy enough to make a move, when suddenly a telepathic message from Tanip reached him. 'Uncle, the civilians are safe! Come on!'

Grinning, Raditz focused on the energy of his nephews, and then vanished into hyperspace. He rematerialised in the train tunnel, barked an order for the surviving villagers and his nephews to grab onto him. They were all quick to comply. Then, with incredible strain, Raditz focused on Mr. Popo's ki signature and then vanished into hyperspace with the large crowd in tow.

The remaining Androids searched high and low, but once again the damn rebels had got away. 13 stood in the centre of the ruined village, holding 15's power core and memory chip. A grin slowly crossed his face.

* * *

Mr. Popo was quick to lead the survivors into the lower levels of the lookout, a massive labyrinth that was far larger on the inside than it appeared on the outside. With magic materialisation, he could keep the people here fed until their dying day. One would wonder, how could the Red Ribbon Army not have found this place years ago?

Decades ago, as human technology grew in complexity, Kami began to fear that the Lookout would become some sort of tourist spot or that the government would be foolish enough to try and invade him. So he placed an enchantment on the Lookout, rendering it invisible to sattelite images. Pilots could see it, but no craft ever really came out this way...with the notable exception of Kakarot's old Attack Ball.

Raditz went off to get a Senzu tonic for his new injuries and Gohan left to rest. Tanip sought out her mother, who had turned the left tower of the lookout into her personal forge soon after moving in here.

The place was a mess when Tanip found her mother. Bulma was dressed in a red Capsule Corp jumpsuit, her hair tied back into a messy bun, and her hands busy working on wiring and circuitry on towering two-seated machine before her. Despite the years that had passed, and the stress within those years, Bulma had aged surprisingly well. Her hair was a little greyer and a few wrinkles dotted her eyes, but it could have been worse.

"Hey mom." Tanip greeted, slowly strolling across the forge towards her mother.

"Mnh? Oh hey kiddo. How'd the rescue go?" Bulma asked, barely looking up from her work on the time machine.

Tanip gave a small shrug "Saved most of the villagers from whatever the Emperor had planned. Popo is leading them to their new quarters as we speak." she explained. Tanip leaned against ont of the four long legs of the towering machine, watching her mother work so diligently "How's this thingie progressing?" she asked.

Bulma pulled her goggles off over her eyes and then smirked at her daughter "This tub here will be ready in about a month. Did some simple experiments with the temporal technology while you were out, and once I make the controls more precise you and Gohan can head back to the past."

The older woman stood up fully, gave a small grunt as she fixed her back up, and then she looked toward Tanip with a serious look on her face "You realise the importance of this, right?"

Tanip nodded slowly "Yeah. Gonna go and save dad...and everyone else."

"Atta girl." Bulma admitted, keeping her grave expression for a few more moments longer "We can only hope they'll heed the warning...I don't even want to imagine how guilty your father feels right now, even if none of this was his fault."

The half-Saiyan placed a hand on her mothers shoulder "We'll save him mom..."

* * *

It was past midnight when Gohan walked onto the polished tiled floors of the lookout. His uncle stood dangerously close to the edge, his blind gaze turned up in the general direction of the crescent moon. In his hand he held the red bandage that normally covered his eyes, exposing the deep ruined scar where his eyes once were.

13 had sliced them out with a razor-blade of energy on is fingertip, maiming Raditz for a laugh. It seemed the Saiyan had the last laugh, he was more dangerous than ever with his other enhanced senses.

"You been practicing with Instant Transmission again?" Raditz asked, his body unmoving.

"Yeah...It's kind of difficult, but I've been able to teleport to Popo a few times now." Gohan replied quickly.

Raditz nodded slowly. "That was one of the last things your father taught me. He did a great many things for me, saved me from a life of being Vegeta's goon...I became someone thanks to him..." the Saiyan trailed off. If he still had eyes, he might have even shed a tear.

"Do you believe in destiny, Gohan?" Raditz asked. As he spoke he clutched at his side, where he had taken a blow earlier. Was he still in pain?

Gohan shrugged "I...I guess so. Why do you ask, uncle?"

A smile slowly tugged at the corners of Raditz' mouth "I believe Kakarot was destined to land here as a baby. That old Namekian, Kami, gave Kakarot a life that he never could have had if he followed his mission...Then again, if destiny exists, why would it have him die when the world needed him most...?"

A frown settled on his face, and then Raditz started to walk past his nephew. "Uncle, you never told me...why do you want me to know Instant Transmission?" Raditz never answered, he simply walked into the main temple. His silence was answer enough.

He doubted he'd live much longer.

* * *

An uneventful week passed by. The RRA had made no real moves that the three Saiyans could deal with, they seemed content to just dick around in the massive quantities of land they already owned.

Finally Mr. Popo came to them, speaking of a disturbance he sensed at a mining town several dozen miles from the Lookout. With nothing better to do the trio set out to investigate.

"Okay, um...I see footsoldiers going down into that mine there. Two redcoats are on that oposite part of the town, 14 and 16 by the looks of it...No sign of the villagers." Tanip explained, clipping the binoculars onto her belt.

"I'll take the redcoats. I want you two to investigate the mines and see if the villagers are being held in there." with that they split off, the teens heading for the mines while Raditz followed the noise being created by the two androids plodding about.

"Mind if I ask you two what you're doing out here?" Raditz asked, just as his golden aura flashed to life, transforming him into a Super Saiyan.

14 noisily clenched and unclenched his fists, on the verge of attacking at any moment "Our jobs."

Raditz cocked his head out of curiosity, and then he quickly spun around when he heard footsteps moving closer to him. "Hehe...And a fine job they're doin..." 13 remarked. His voice was...different. Deeper and harsher there was an overwhelming sense of heat in the air for some reason.

Raditz blind eyes couldn't see the great change 13's body had undergone. He stood a few inches taller, his once silver hair was now spiked up and glowing red. His shirt was gone, revealing a muscular chest with odd blue markings on various parts of his chest, almost like circuitry. "I should thank ya'...You gave me the means I need t' kill you."

He shot forth at an absurd speed, driving his gloved fist into Raditz' face with enough force to launch him several dozen metres upward. "Didn't...Didn't even sense him he was so quick..." Raditz gasped out, blood dribbling past his broken lip.

Raditz spun about in the air, hearing 13 moving his way. He fired off a bolt of purple light as fast as he could, the blast only managing to strike an afterimage. 13 reappeared beside him and then delivered a firm roundhouse kick that knocked Raditz across the Raditz could do anything, the Super Android was behind him and smashing an elbow into his back.

Raditz screamed out in white hot agony, the strike sending a spiderweb of cracks along the kanji of his armour. The blind Saiyan drove his fist backward in a futile counter, but he seemed to hit his foe somewhere. The long-haired Super Saiyan started flinging punches and kicks as fast as he could, seeming to stagger 13 back through the air.

Finally, the Super Saiyan drove his heel out and managed to catch 13 in the side of the neck, knocking him away through the air with a pained yell. Raditz focused on the noise, and fired a wide blast of white light in that direction "Sunday Buster!"

The blast seemed like it would be a clean hit, it really did. Might have done a fair bit of damage actually. However at the last possible moment 13 shot his hand out and fired a shimmering orange and red energy wave, the strike colliding against Raditz' own and rapidly overwhelming it. The beam struck the Super Saiyan and caught him in a powerful explosion that knocked him down to earth, bruised and bloodied and burnt.

On imact with the hard ground, Raditz' body formed a deep crater. It was made even deeper when 13 dashed down and drove his heel into Raditz' stomach.

The Super Saiyan screamed bloody murder from the intense pain, blood spattering up past his lips. A weak grunt escaped him, and his hair slowly went from gold to black. "H-how...How did you get so much more powerful...?"

"Well, you helped me out there my blind friend." 13 spat, before kicking Raditz in the ribs and making him hiss in pain. "When Doc Gero built us, the old commander wanted a failsafe to make us stronger, just in case something was powerful enough to destroy us as individuals. When you blew up 15." another kick, this time something cracked in Raditz' body "I was able to retrieve his power core and absorbed his power, adding it to my own..."

"So...that's it..." Raditz panted out, growling in pain.

"Yes indeed. I shoulda' done this years ago." 13 remarked with a small chuckle. He pushed one hand forth, extending his index and middle finger. A ball of red energy began to grow at his fingertips "I shoulda' done this too." he took aim at Raditz' heart, and fired.

* * *

When the twins crawled out of the mines they were covered in blood and bruises "They killed all the civilians, those sons of bitches..." Tanip spat, rubbing a purple bruise on her exposed shoulder "Had alot of power suits waiting for us too."

"I'm aware...Must've been a trap, they expected to kill us in such close quarters." Gohan replied. His gloved hand wiped the blood away from under his nose. "Lucky for us, we were underestimated."

Tanip snickered and they kept walking. A sense of unease soon took her "Wait...I...I can't sense uncle Raditz anywhere..." she remarked softly.

Gohan's eyes widened when the realisation hit him, and he shot into the air as fast as he could. His gaze scanned about frantically, trying desperately to find their uncle. Tanip quickly joined with him in the air, looking about...and then Gohan spotted him.

The blind Saiyan was left in a deep crater in the earth, covered in bruises and burns. There was a large hole where his heart once was, covered in dark dried blood. Dead.

"No...nononono..." Tanip whispered, slowly drifting down with her brother. Gohan was silent, but his face still showed the same amount of grief. "Not you uncle, not you..." Tanip whimpered, lifting the blind Saiyan's head. His jaw hung limp when his head was moved, but aside from that there was nothing coming off him.

Gohan clenched his fists and grit hit teeth, a sense of rage and grief like nothing he'd ever felt before. His lilac hair flickered from its normal colour to a gold shade for a brief moment. Tanip's eyes were shut tight, a steady stream of tears flowing from both her eyes. She couldn't see her own unruly hair briefly flicker gold.

Rage built deep inside both twins, the ground rumbled beneath them and a tempest swirled above them in the sky. The twins threw their heads to the skies and screamed in rage. Golden light flashed up around them and rocketed up unto the sky, like a sun rising on the horizon. Their hair spiked up and went rigid and golden, their eyes shifted to turquoise, and finally the twins unlocked the power of a Super Saiyan.

Not that either noticed. Tanips face twisted with rage and she quickly drew her sword "Ill kill them! I'll track the bastards down and gut every last one of them!" she roared.

Gohan clamped a hand on his sisters shoulder, holding her in place "No, you won't." Tanip looked at him in bewilderment, but she could tell Gohan was just as torn up inside from his pained expression "We can't risk fighting them, even now. They managed to somehow kill uncle Raditz, and if they did that then they could kill us too. And if that happens...who's going to go back and stop this from ever happening?"

Tanip hesitated, the bade trembling in her grasp. "Fine..." she whispered, her voice cracking. She sheathed her blade...before collapsing to her knees and breaking down into uncontrollable sobs.

* * *

It was a foggy grey morning on the Lookout when the twins were presented with the time machine. It was a tall four-legged yellow machine, with an egg-shaped glass canopy that had two seats side-by-side within. It'd be kind of cramped, but it would suit their needs.

"Got the medicine?" Bulma asked.

"Yup." Gohan replied, double checking the hard case on his hip.

"And you both remember the story you have to tell our friends in the past?" Bulma asked.

"Yeah ma, we got it." Tanip said, managing to grin despite the gravity of the situation.

Bulma suddenly pulled her two children in, hugging them tight. "Ugh...I'm gonna miss you two so much, you're all I have left..." she gave a small sigh and stepped back "Go on you two, get in that time machine and save the past from this hell."

Gohan nodded and the two headed for the time machine. A few beams of sunlight were breaking through the fog, flashing against the polished metal of the device and making it glow brilliantly.

"Come on sis. Let's do this." Gohan said, managing to smile.

Tanip gave him a thumbs up and a toothy grin "You got it bro."

* * *

"And that's all that happened before we came here." Gohan said, glancing over his father and his gathered friends "It's been difficult, but now that you have this warning you'll be able to change the future."

"You'll have to start training right away." Tanip cut in. "You guys kinda slacked off after Frieza, and you'll need to be at your best for what's coming."

Tien nodded and glanced to the other human warriors "I've been developing a new form of Kaioken to remove the strain problem that the old version caused. It's not perfect, but you guys will certainly enjoy it."

"I'll train with Raditz and we'll try to push the Super Saiyn power to new heights." Kakarot remarked. He looked to Kami "But I'll still have to do that galactic parliament. Will you train with us, and work with Raditz when I'm unavailable?"

Kami shrugged his broad shoulders "I suppose. I'll make the best of your gravity chamber for training."

Tanip looked elated "Sweet. Things are shaping up nicely...We gotta head back to the future for the time being and tell mom how things have gone, but well be back in...well a few months of your time. You got three years to get ready." she explained.

And so the two teens from the future returned to their craft and headed off for their time period. Their warning left a bad taste in everyones mouths.

* * *

That night, back at the Capsule Corp HQ, Kakarot retold the story to Bulma in as much detail as he could. Her reactions were mixed throughout his telling, but she seemed to believe him as strange as the tale was.

"God..." Bulma murmured, leaning against the wall. She looked ready to yell from a mix of frustration and horror, but she held herself for now what with the babies asleep in the next room. Hard to believe they arrived as adults only a few hours ago. "So basically, if we're not ready in three years we're fucked?" she asked, examining the bottle of antidote in her hand.

"Pretty much. Without that antidote I'll die of a heart virus, we lose the Dragon Balls and then the Androids will curb all of us." Kakarot replied. A pale corridor of moonlight glowed on his skin and illuminated his features...however he didn't seem worried or upset at all right now.

Bulma turned the purple liquid in the vial, pursing her lips "I guess I'll examine this, make sure it's all on the level. Though if this is from my future self it'll work just fine. If anything I'll be more awesome in the future."

"Ego much?" Kakarot teased, smirking.

Bulma rolled her eyes "Shut up." she muttered, setting the vial down. "In any event, how are you so calm right now, seeing as you know what's going to happen?"

"Because I know what to expect...and I know how to handle it." Kakarot replied, lazing back on Bulma's firm mattress "The gears in my head have been turning. I can keep training with Raditz and Kami, and the humans are going to learn a new Kaioken to make them stronger too. With that cure the heart virus will only be a temporary problem. And just in case, I plan to transfer keepership of the Dragon Balls to someone else."

A determined grin flashed briefly across Kakarot's face "I'm going to change the future."

* * *

A/N: Next chapter, Kakarot begins work on creating his galactic parliament, and starts some of his plans...And, we get a brief glimpse of the inner machinations of the Red Ribbon Army.

First let me thank all of you for your commitment to the story, as we're just at the 400 review mark at this point. I'm shocked a how popular this story has grown, and if the trend keeps up Guardian is set to become my most popular fic.

**Sardine Tyrant Valzy: Also, the name Tanip is perfect for the girl. Some people don't understand the relation between vegetables and Saiyan names.**

Thanks. It's far too common to see OC Saiyans that don't have vegetable pun names.

**Jack: I also liked ur description on the androids. but what about Cell and Androids 18 and 17? Do they not exist in this timeline? And also, will Cooler return?**

Well, the people who would become 17 and 18 will appear at some point. As for Cell...Well he exists, but not as you know him. When it comes to Cooler...well, we'll see.

**Jcogginsa: kami should be much stronger, the original namek is supposed to be so tough it'd take a super sayian to beat him, acording to guru**

I highly doubt it. Neither Kami nor King Piccolo were even as powerful as Raditz. Original Nameless Namek would be lucky to be at Nappa level.

**Jcogginsa: how did tien turn good**

Roshi and Grandpa Gohan.


	27. Counterparts

It had taken little over three months to prepare everything. Messages had to be sent out, ships needed to be gathered, brief treaties needed to be signed between species...but when the man who killed Frieza calls for you, you shouldn't tarry.

Kakarot had taken King Cold's ship, several engineers still present aboard to pilot it, and brought Jeice and Burter with him to serve as his advisors for the time being. They had an understanding of all the major players and nuances in galactic politics, they knew the history of many galactic conflicts (And likely had a hand in igniting a few of them) and they were too bumbling to formulate a decent plan to betray him.

The insectoid workers known as the Krik had offered their services to build a parliament when Kakarot sent the word out, and two months after Cold's...Ginyu's defeat on Earth, the ceaseless workers had built a fully functional parliamentary building on the neutral moon of Telben (Formerly known as Frieza 31-M).

The structure had been situated in one massive grey crater, a tower of gold that tapered at the top. It had force field windows that went from base to tip, a ring on each of its forty storeys. Those Krik did some damn fine work, but that was to be expected when the workers were a hive mind.

The parliamentary chamber, where Kakarot stood now, was a panopticon-like structure. Kakarot, flanked on either side by Jeice and Burter, stood on a platform on a long pillar, elevated at the right height so that he could observe all the representatives of various species who had accepted his invitation. The difference between this and a panopticon was that Kakarot himself was always visible to the other members of parliament.

"All rise to attention for Kakarot, the Super Saiyan and Guardian of Earth, slayer of Frost Demons and liberator of the galaxy!" Burter yelled, his voice echoing throughout the chamber. the two had insisted that a series of lofty titles would earn the attention of the other races.

All eyes focused on Kakarot, and he took his time to meet the gaze of every representative. Arcosians, Ikondans, Brenchs, Konatsians, Kree, Skrull, Shi'ar, Salarian, Judoon, Ood...All stood waiting for his words.

Kakarot inhaled slowly through his nose,and then released a low exhale to calm his nerves.

"I would like to start the day, by first welcoming all of you to a new era of galactic peace."

* * *

Gero's newest and most expansive lap was here, deep under the ground of the city-sized castle that Commander Red had dubbed the Muscle Fortress. Commander Red, a lanky one-eyed man with a mop of red hair dressed in a cheap black suit, and Staff Officer Black, a tall black man in an equally cheap suit, led the way through the tunnels.

Ever since Red got his wish with the Dragon Balls, he and Black were of a height with each other. Black absolutely loathed that.

Behind them walked a slightly shorter gentleman, a cyborg with half a metallic skull, metal hands and garbed in a pink Chang Pao with the Crane school kanji on the breast and the lovely phrase 'KILL YOU' written on the back. This was Mercenary Tao...Or Android 9 as he had been known these past few years. Not that he had lost any of his sadism.

And then behind those three trailed a figure no larger than a child. He, or she, was clad in a black robe with a golden trim, a hood veiling the beings face in shadow. The RRA badge was pinned proudly on the front of his, or her, robe with the crane school logo on the back. The being floated, as opposed to walking. Its exposed hands were steel, cold.

"So has Gero said anything on this new project of his?" Staff Officer Black asked, his head cocked curiously "Gonna be hard to outdo those last four androids he and the other guy made."

"It's some new...bio-Android thing or something." Red replied, lazily picking at his teeth. "He's mixing his technology with the other scientists, says that this thing is gonna be his most powerful creation to date."

The group rounded the corner of one metal corridor into the main lab, and almost bumped into a pretty blonde woman with icy blue eyes. "O-oh my goodness, sorry." she said, bowing slightly and then pushing her round glasses up the bridge of her nose. She was of average height, dressed in a labcoat. There was an agelessness about her, an unnaturalness to her beauty...as if she had a perfectly proportioned face, almost sculpted. This was Gero's lab assistant...oh blast, Red couldn't remember her name.

"Yea yeah. Just make sure it doesn't happen again." Red replied gruffly. They kept walking, moving past the blonde who seemed to flinch just in Tao's presence. She had been there to see the mercenary 'discipline' General Blue for insubordination.

"Ah Commander Red, a pleasure to see you." Gero remarked. Despite his age, evident from his snow white hair and his incredibly pruned skin, he stood tall and proud.

The man who hobbled in beside him looked half a hundred years older, leaning on a gnarled cane. Large liverspots marked his jowly face. "Dr. Kochin, good to see you settling in here." Staff Officer Black remarked.

The RRA had found Kochin after detecting energy distortions in the northern wastes. He had been trying to breach into a frozen lab and was most uncooperative until he was detained by Tao and 'persuaded' to join their cause by the hooded figure. When the army breached the lab, they were quite pleased with the cache of technology they recovered.

"Very well sirs. Very well indeed...Now if you'll come this way, we'll lead you to our newest project." Dr. Kochin replied "We're calling him Cell."

The metal fingers of the hooded figure clenched and unclenched slowly _'Keep talking you old fool...Soon enough I'll welcome you all to a new era of the Red Ribbon Army...'_

* * *

"And in conclusion, while the evil that is the Cold Family is no longer a threat to te universe at large, we cannot make it so another dictator can take control. And thus this parliament is being founded to create galactic equality. I was raised to believe that all life was deserving of protection to a point. As a result, from here on I will be a Guardian to all life in the northern galaxy." Kakarot exhaled and then bowed.

There was mixed applause to his declaration. Several deligates came from worlds who had been under the thumb of the Planet Trade for so long that it seemed doubtful anything would change that. Others were more hopeful, believing that this parliamentary system could be their salvation. Then there were those who had been cosy with Frieza and got special treatment from him, now agitated that their privileges would be revoked.

"Liar! I call you a coward, you Saiyan chimp!" one harsh voice snarled. All eyes turned, presidents, kings, queens and senschals alike focusing on the grey dragon-like creature snapping at Kakarot. The beast was almost 7 feet tall with grey scales, eyes like molten pools of gold, and two leathery wings. Smoke spewed past his maw.

"That's Farros, Lord of the Taryan people." Jeice murmured into Kakarot's ear "Frieza gave him special treatment because of the massive forges situated on the Taryan homeworld. He knows ya won't turn a blind eye to his atrocities."

Kakarot stayed silent for a moment while Farros ranted and raved, snapping his jaws and spewing ash into the air "We all saw the video probe! This monkey wasn't the one who killed Cooler, or the creature wearing King Cold's skin. How do we know that we should be thanking him for killing Frieza! He's just a traitor monkey trying to claim credit for something he didn't do, trying to get more more power like all those monkey's do!"

Kakarot kept his cool throughout the tirade of insults, his face unmoving. Finally he spoke up "Lord Farros, your passion is appreciated, but I will not stand warmongers in m-"

With a beastial roar Farros shot up on leather wings, his stony fist driving into Kakarot's face. His head snapped about an inch to one side from the blow, but he was virtually unharmed by the blow. Still, that didn't stop the horrified gasps of the other politicians.

By Kakarot's estimation, the dragon man was roughly twice as powerful as Frieza's second form. Very powerful. Unfortunately for him, Kakarot had surpassed that level of strength in his base form as far back as Namek.

Still, he wanted to put on a show for the people. Jeice and Burter sensed the shift in Kakarot's power and leapt back, just before a flash of golden light sent Farros hurtling back into his own podium "Just in case there are any doubts that I am the real deal...As for you, Lord Farros, I will forgive this act of aggression on your part this time..." as Kakarot's hair went from gold to black, the fearful Taryan staggered to his feet "...But keep in mind that I will not suffer warmongers in this parliament. Now...Sit. Down."

* * *

"So what's so special about Cell?" Staff Officer Black asked as the two scientsits led the way through the underground lab. Pieces of machinery lay strewn about wildly on the metal floors, pieces of old Android projects that didn't make the cut.

"Well, as you are aware the Androids we've created are decently powerful, and their power cores provide them infinite stamina. But, their key disadvantage is that there is a cap on their strength, they cannot train to get stronger and can only get stronger by absorbing the power cores of their fallen brothers." Gero explained, walking along. He stroked his bushy moustache, clearly satisfied with himself.

Kochin smiled a slimy smile "But now we've created something that bypassesthis problem, something part-machine and part organic. Of course, without my brilliant bio-warrior research, none of this would have been possible."

Gero rolled his eyes,deciding not to argue with his colleague in front of his commander "We retrieved the DNA of the most powerful warriors on earth...even the extra-terrestrials. Saiyans, Namekians, and those Frost Demon creatures who landed on Earth a few months ago. Not only will Cell be born with incredible power, but also the racial traits of these races such as Namekian regeneration and the Frost Demon ability to thrive in any environment."

"Hm...Now that does sound impressive..." Commander Red remarked, grinning wickedly. A pair of metal doors hissed open before them, leading to a large chamber. Massive wires ran off the walls and linked into a glass tube of lime green liquid. In the centre of that tube there was a strange lump, a creature that had odd blue stumps. Limbs in growth.

"That's it? It's hardly all that impressive...Its like a little fetus..." Tao remarked dryly.

"He's growing." Gero replied "That's the one downside to the Cell project, he needs to grow. not to worry, he'll mature to adulthood rapidly thanks to Kochin's notes. In little over three years he'll be ready to fight."

"And will he be able to control him ike he can with the other androids?" Red asked, gesturing to the hooded figure in the back.

"Yes, due to his dangerous potential power, we had it so his mind can be controlled by our little friend." Kochin chimed in, another sly smile crossing his face.

Beneath his hood, the child-sized figure smiled "That's all I needed to hear." the group turned, all eyes on him, and then the hooded figure snaped his fingers. A split second later, Commander Red was ripped in half from groin to crown by a telekinetic force.

A spray of blood coated the floor, and the two scientists gasped in shock and horror. Officer Black looked dumbstruck. Tao pulled one fist back and aimed a punch at the shorter being, only a force field to knock him flat on his ass.

Gero pulled a remote from one pocket on his lab coat, took aim at the midget, and then pressed one button. Nothing happened. "W-what...Why isn't the bomb in your chest working?"

"Oh that little thing. Nasty trick you pulled...Putting my mind in this mechanical shell and then planting a bomb inside me to make me work for you...You didn't account for how potent my telekinesis has become...I spent some time carefully disarming the bomb from within, and now I have full control over my body...and the Androids, thanks to my powers."

Everyone took a step back as the hooded figure pressed metal fingers to the edge of his hood and then pulled it down, revealing a lifeless mechanical face and a paid of glimmering sapphire eyes. "Have no fear. Serve me well and you can live much longer than that ginger fool...Oh, and from now on call me emperor."

Gero bowed awkwardly,followed by Kochin and lastly by Tao "Y-yes...Emperor Chiaotzu." Gero said.

* * *

The first meeting had hardly been peaceful. Many old blood feuds were breaking out between the diplomats, several of the representatives wanted lost lands reclaimed to them, worlds that had been blown up or 'confiscated' by the Planet Trade.

So many complaints...monster that he was, Frieza was at least a stabilising element in the galaxy at large.

Afterward, Kakarot led the way to the armory on the lower levels of the parliament with Jeice and Burter at his sides. "I'd like to thank you for all the help you've been...And I have more duties for the both of you. I've seen how stir-crazy you got on Earth, so here's a placement that will grant you more freedom."

"Sounds great boss. What'd you have in mind?" Burter asked. Both of their eyes came to rest on the modified PTO uniforms before them in the armoury. The taller suit had a black chest plate, black undersuit, blue gloves and boots and a blue hurricane painted on the right breast.

The shorter one had a white chest plate, a scarlet undersuit, red gloves and boots and a red volcano symbol on the right breast. "I want you two to form squadrons for me to serve as peace keepers in the new galaxy. Two five-man teams like the Ginyu force...Team Blue Hurricane, and Team Red Magma."

The two aliens blinked and looked to Kakarot in awe "You...r-really mean this?" Jeice asked.

"I do indeed. I'll have a list of potential squadmates drawn up for you soon, this is just a glimpse of your future with me." Kakarot remarked. "Come on, I need you two with me. One representative wanted to speak with me privately."

And so they went, Burter and Jeice chattering excitedly with each other. Good, that'd keep them happy for the time being and have the cosying up to Kakarot in the hopes of future promotions.

The one who awaited him was a wrinkled and hunched creature with spotted pink skin, odd tendrils blooming from the sides of his face. His forehead was bulbous and his eyes were unnaturaly large. Despite this he was dressed in a fine robe of aquamarine silk and had an enamelled silver crown at the top of his bulbous head.

At his side stood a hulking creature of the same species, his skin dark purple in contrast. He was dressed in baggy white pants, silver boots, and had a red sash around his waist.

"Ah, most wonderous Guardian of Earth. So pleased to speak to you privately." the pink creature remarked, his voice laced with a sweet accent "I am Miswa, ruler of the Yardrat people. This is Soba, my guard."

"Ruler of Yardrats, I am pleased to make your acquaintance." Kakarot said, shaking Miswa's hand slowly. "What did you wish to speak to me about?" he asked.

The pink Yardrat's face shifted into something that could have been considered a smile "We have learned recently that we were one of the next planets that Frieza wished to conquer. Had it not been for you...well, I shudder to think of the potential loss of life. I wished to thank you."

Kakarot scratched the back of his neck and laughed slightly "Your eminence, that won't be needed. I appreciate the offer but I need no thanks."

Miswa prodded Kakarot in the ribs "Now now, I won't take no for an answer. And I think that you'll quite like this reward. It's a very special technique." In a flash the Yardrat was gone, suddenly standing behind Burter who leapt back in shock.

"How did...How did you do that? You don't have enough ki to move that fast..." Kakarot murmured in disbelief, taking a small step back.

"Impressed? I figured as much. Most are when they see my people's most potent ability. I am willing to teach it to you, as a token of my thanks..."

Ah. So this was the ability Kakarot's offspring from the future had told him about. Yes, this would do nicely for going to and fro between planets. "I would love to, your eminence. Tell me, what is this technique of yours called?" Kakarot asked.

Miswa's face wrinkled into that odd smile again "Instant Transmission, my noble Saiyan friend."

* * *

From the viewport of his small cruiser, Zeeun could see all of his target planet. A teeming little port planet by the name of Queddo. From space it looked almost made of city because of the vast urban expansion that covered roughly 69% of the planets surface, but that was only to be expected.

"Lot of people." one soldier remarked, his voice muffled by the purple visor of his long white helmet. "Tech geeks say they have an 8 Billion strong population."

Zeeun smirked, his long orange face looking all the uglier from the movement of his muscles "Good. Kill enough of them and that monkey coward will come running. Just gotta give Lord Slug another month or two to get everything ready for his plans on earth."

* * *

A/N: Next chapter, Kakarot forges alliances within the parliament for the betterment of the planet, and he starts to enact a scheme to ensure the safety of Earth's Dragon Balls.

**-Apope: Hey,dude,are you doing the Buu Saga or not('cause you said you disliked it)?**

Well unlike FoLF, I can't really bend canon in such a way that the Buu saga can't happen. That said, I will be changing the Buu saga considerably to undo many failings I found in canon.

**-Sardine Tyrant Valzy: Wouldn't Goku have taught it to others in canon, if he could? I just hope you don't make it more OP than it already is.**

Honestly, I thought he would. Then again the issue was never brought up in canon so it's unclear if he wouldn't, or couldn't pass the technique on. Regardless, in this canon Raditz will be there with Kakarot when they start learning from Miswa.

**- infinityGohan: What I'm confused about though is why and how 13 is a Super Android if 14 is still around. Wouldn't he be like a semi-super android instead?**

I don't believe I described it well, but he was in a semi-transformed state. He had the hair and a slight increase in mass, but he lacked the fully blue skin and the gargantuan proportions of his full transformation.

**-I am Miranda: This is just a suggestion, but since the next saga is about the androids, u could try fitting Arale Norimaki into the plot. After all, she was also made by Akira Toriyama, she guest started in the original manga, and the story needs more female fighters at the moment**

While it would be fun, Arale is just too absurdly overpowered to fit in right now.

**-Super mystic gohan: by the way is android 16 as strong as 16 in the dbz cannon or is he weaker in your story**

16 is as strong as his canon counterpart.

**-Perfect Carnage: Is the other scientist that guy who made the Bio-Warriors in Movie 12 (Never seen it but I know that much at least)?**

Nope. Kochin from the World's Strongest movie.


	28. Ripple Effect

_It's the same dream every night. Nightmare. Flashback. Whatever you want to call it._

_I'm sure you would understand some of it. You were there at the start. It was...the 22nd tournament, wasn't it Tien? Yes, the year where we battled against the Turtle School students. I remember you, so confident...arrogant, rather. You believed yourself so superior to everyone else...Until you got your lecturing from Roshi and Gohan, the men who opened your eyes._

_But that's besides the point. After you told Shen you had enough, you planned on leaving his school with me. And we might have gotten away if it wasn't for that winged demon attacking the tournament grounds. In that chaos, you didn't even notice Tao knocking me out and dragging me off..._

_You know how close he was to the Red Ribbon Army was, right?_

_Well, they always mae sure to keep him posted on potential jobs. See it turned out that one of their scientists, Gero, was having trouble controlling his androids. He needed a psychic to stop them acting out and was willing to pay for it. Tao just loved money, didn't he?_

_He took me to the RRA compound, I can't remember which one. I think the Androids and I were constantly being moved around. In the dream I'm strapped down to the operating table, so drugged up that I can't even use my powers. Gero's standing above me, and his hand reaches into my chest. Then, like a magician with that rag trick, he pulled my organs out in one swift motion as if they're all tied together._

_Then I feel the metal. It crawls up my arms like water, like a swarm of bugs crawling over every inch of my body. I fee the wires sink into my brain, it makes me smarter and enhanced my psychic powers beyond compare. I can do ANYTHING with a thought!_

_But I can't undo what's been done to me._

_I once believed that you'd save me, I DELUDED myself for years! 'Oh Tien will save me, Tien can do anything!' but you never came! I was left to suffer alone, in the dark, a slave designed to control those machines...Where were you? Why, why did you leave me?_

_Do you have any idea what it's like to be deprived of your senses, Tien? I do. I've lost three to this change. Never again can I feel the sunlight on my face. Never again can I enjoy the scent of flowers. Never again can I enjoy the taste of my favourite food. I'm a prisoner in a mechanical shell._

_I hate you for abandoning me. I hate myself for what I've become. I hate everyone who's not me, because they have no comprehension of my pain._

_But they will, soon enough. In a few years time everything will be ready. I'll burn the world Tien, and everything you love will turn to ash...and then I'll let you embrace oblivion._

_I hate you..._

* * *

Tien awoke with a start, panting for breath. A cold sweat had broken out along his toned flesh, giving an unpleasant clammy sensation. It just made him feel even dirtier after everything he just heard in that dream.

Launch was asleep peacefuly beside him, and the triclops was thankful for that at least.

How real was that dream? Was it just some delusion of guilt that entered his head? Tien laid back on the bed, his brow furrowed in thought. Those twins did mention some sort of emperor that controlled the androids, but...No, no. It couldn't be Chiaotzu.

For now it didn't matter. Tomorrow morning he'd have to teach the other humans how to handle Zen Kaioken. Once they understood how to channel the Kaioken power into localised attributes, no Android would be any match for them.

* * *

It had been little over two months since Kakarot started learning Instant Transmission from Miswa. As soon as he started talking about it back on earth, Raditz had wanted in on the lessons, and had been coming out into space to learn with him whenever he could.

At present, the two Saiyans and the two Yardrats were on a domed segment of Telben, roughly five miles away from the main parliament building. Their training exercise was simple, all they had to do was teleport to Soba wherever he went.

"You know little brother, your kids didn't lie, this technique is incredible." Raditz remarked once he appeared behind Soba. The purple Yardrat dashed away in a flash, landing on one deep crater.

Kakarot landed before Soba a split second later, rematerialising out of hyperspace "Believe me I know. When I first heard about this, I didn't think this technique could exist."

"Try and catch me while I'm moving." Soba said with a low growl to his voice. The Yardrat started moving in circles through the air, so fast that only the faintest of afterimages of him could be seen. Despite his hulking frame, he sure could move.

The Saiyan brothers pressed two fingers to their brows, trying to focus on Soba's sizeable energy. The two vanished at the exact same time, and reappeared in almost the same spot, their foreheads accidentaly smashing together.

"Ow..." Kakarot whined, pressing a palm to the swelled purple lump on his forehed.

"Good GOD Kakarot, is your skull made of titanium or something?!" Raditz yelled, rubbing the lump on his own forehead. Miswa made a small tittering sound at the spectacle.

"Uh...Lord Miswa, what time is it? I'm supposed to be meeting representatives of the Galactic Bank soon if I recall..." Kakarot said, trying to change the subject.

Miswa paused and pulled a time-keeping device from the inside of his robe "Oh well let's see...Yes you told me of your meeting, it should be starting in 10 minutes time..."

Kakarot nodded and pressed two fingers to his brow, honing in on a ki signature inside the parliament building. "I best be off. Raditz you feel free to continue practising, I'll call if I need you." and with that, he vanished.

* * *

The three representatives of the Galactic Bank were a mixed bunch to say the least. The one on the far left was a wrinkly yellow-skinned brench with wispy white hair, a man by the name of Andai. Sitting beside him was a Litt so old that he seemed to be more machine than man, with a resporator covering his beak and one of his eyes replaced with cybernetics. Shoto, supposedly one of the oldest beings in the galaxy, he certainly looked the part.

Lastly there was a lime green Space Lemur in a gunmetal grey chestplate. He seemed to be the youngest by comparison to his cohorts, and spoke for them. Suika was his name, and Kakarot seemed to have a natural distrust of him.

"Most noble of Saiyans. It is truly an honour to meet with you in person, after our lengthy extranet communications." Suika began, pulling a fig from his pocket and lazily punching on it. "I trust you are aware what we have come to discuss with you today?"

"Yes. Frieza had given the Galactic bank several planets during his reign, places where your people have created forges for weapons and massive vaults to store valuables. Now that Frieza is gone, the people of those planets want sovreignity from you." Kakarot replied flatly "It's not a conflict I want to dip my hands into."

Andai took a wheezing breath and then drawled out "No need to be so rash. This could be quite beneficial to you if you side those two squadrons of yours with us."

Kakarot frowned and then slowly shook his head "I don't take bribes. Money won't sway me, no matter how much you can throw my way."

A metal sqwuarking sound came from the metal voice box on top of Shoto's robe, and a synthesised voice spoke through it "Have you not considered the profoundly negative effects that will befall these worlds if we leave them? They were poor and so underdeveloped before we set up business there. If we leave, then we will take all the wealth and industrial technology with us. It is OUR property, after all. And what few resources these worlds ever had were mined away long ago. If we go, then those worlds will fall to poverty and anarchy. You don't want that on your conscience, do you?"

Now that was unsettling. He himself lacked the resources to keep such planets afloat, and letting those worlds people die...It seemed they'd curse his name regardless of the choice he made. He sat back and steepled his fingers before his face "And in what way would I benefit from helping you keep control of these worlds?" he asked.

"We managed a great deal of the Cold Family's finances, and many of their assets technically belong to us." Suika began "Lord Frieza owned about three mercenary corps, who we would be more than willing to give to you. Financing them would fall to us, but their contracts would leave them entirely in your control."

"And why would I want mercenaries?" Kakarot objected. He adjusted himself in his seat, and noticed some unease in the three bankers whenever he moved "From my understanding most of them would prefer to live poor than to die rich..."

Andai smiled softly at Kakarot, but there seemed to be a menacing undertone to that smile. He looked like the kind of guy who would embrace you with one hand, and then stab you in the back with the other "Noble and most mighty Super Saiyan, you must know that your high position in the galaxy will make you a target at some point. And you can't possibly be around all the time to defend your adopted homeworld from attack, attack from the kind of people who want to get to you. But the mercenaries, the mercenaries would keep your world nice and safe."

That sounded vaguely like a threat. 'Take these mercenaries as a gesture of goodwill, or we'll use them to destroy your home for defying us.' Still, Kakarot could see the unease on the bankers. They feared him, wouldn't make a ove against him unless they were desperate. Letting the bank keep a hold of those planets certainly didn't make Kakarot happy, but it was his best choice right now.

"How many ships do I gain from this?" Kakarot asked.

It was Shoto's synthesised voice that answered him "From the three companies you will gain access to four top of the line dreadnoughts, 98 bomber craft, 285 fighters craft, 50 stealth craft and 2 spatial mass drivers, useful for taking out pesky asteroids that threaten your adopted home."

"All sounds rather impressive, but I'm willing to bet their worlds that utterly dwarf those numbers in terms of armed forces." Kakarot replied dryly. And if that was the case, what good would they be for defending Earth and the rest of the Sol System?

"Radiant Super Saiyan, consider the mercenaries an early warning system." Andai replied, his wrinkled face contorting into a smile "They shall patrol your system. Should any threat reach your world they will dispatch a telepathic message to you, and then you can use that instantaneous movement of yours to reach them and use your limitless might to vanquish any foe foolish enough to assault Earth."

Kakarot frowned, slowly tapping a finger on the arm of his chair. He thought of the future, of the upcoming battle with the Red Ribbon Army. When these mercenaries heard he had died of a heart virus, had they fled to find new employers? He'd need to ensure his own survival this time around, their firepower would prove invaluable. If only Kakarot knew where this 'Emperor' figure was hiding out, he could put an end to all this before his health went into decline...

"Alright. I accept your terms." Kakarot replied solemnly. He could see the three bankers start to smile, with the obvious exception of Shoto, but Kakarot was quick to wipe the smile from their faces. "Let me be clear on one thing. If I hear of you mistreating the natives of those worlds in any way, or if you try to betray me, I will make you regret it. You all may have feared Frieza's power, but I was the one who killed him after all. Be good, and I'm sure we'll be just the best of friends."

The tension in the air was thick, and Kakarot kept his face stoic as he got to his feet and left the three bankers to think on what he was capable of doing if they enraged him.

* * *

Namek was recovering nicely, all things considered. Much of the greenery had been returned, along with the populace of the planet thanks to the magic of the Dragon Balls. When Kakarot had reappeared out of hyperspace in the heart of the village, he realised just how beautiful this world had been before being brutally mutilated by the Planet Trade.

He thought back to his conversation with the bankers two days ago...what had those worlds been like before being claimed by the Galactic Bank? Would a similar fate have befallen Namek if Frieza had gotten his immortality?

Thankfully, no more tyrants would ever come to plunder Namek. Kakarot had made sure to expunge any references to Namek and its Dragon Balls from galactic databases.

The villagers were quick to flock toward Kakarot, slowly at first out of fear that it was another invader, but they quickly rushed to him once they realised it was the one who saved Namek and brought the species back from the brink of extinction who was visiting them.

"Kakarot! Always a pleasure to see you again." Moori, the newest Grand Elder and the current keeper of Porunga, greeted.

"Elder Moori, the same to you." Kakarot replied, managing to smile. He still felt some guilt because of the decisions he had been forced to make in parliament, but he could get some happiness seeing the peace that had come over Namek.

"So what's brought you to our planet today?" Moori asked. He cocked his head to one side, and a furrow of worry briefly came over his face. He feared some new threat was coming this way.

Kakarot gave a nervous chuckle and tried to calm the other Namekians "Relax Grand Elder, I'm not here with bad news. There's no threat to Namek...But there is one coming to my home, Earth. We recieved a warning from the future-"

Moori looked shocked "From the future?" he gawked in disbelief.

"Yes. Just trust me, I was amazed too." Kakarot replied. Well Moori owed him that much trust after everything that had happened. "In any event, the messengers told us that I died of a heart disease in their future and when I died Shenron went with me, leaving the people of earth without access to his magic. While they gave me something to prevent me dying of that same disease, the prospect of my own mortality has led to me thinking...I need to transfer keepership of Shenron to someone else, while I retain my position as Earth's Guardian."

"So you want for a Namekian to go with you to Earth and take ownership of Earth's Dragon?" Moori remarked, looking over the other villagers.

Kakarot shook his head "Not just any Namekian." he replied. He scanned the crowd and then quickly approached one child at the head of the group. "Dende, you were able to restore Porunga to life. You have a great mystic affinity, and if you were the one tending to Shenron then I think you could make him even more powerful."

Dende blinked, his mouth open in shock "You...You want me to come to Earth with you?" he asked.

"You...You can't just take him from Namek like this. He's only a child." Moori remarked.

"Now now Moori, it's perfectly safe on the Lookout. And besides, nobody can handle the Dragon Balls half as well as a Namekian, especially one with his natural talent." Kakarot explained slowly, wanting to keep the situation calm. He turned his gaze toward Dende "I know I'm asking alot of you to leave your home, but I'd be glad to take you to Namek whenever you felt homesick."

Dende looked hesitent, slowly biting his bottom lip "Well um...I-I guess if it's important I can go with you." Dende replied sheepishly. He gave a quick glance to his surroundings. He'd see it all again in the future, Kakarot promised as much. "Goodbye everyone! I'll come to visit soon, but our friends on earth need us. And we owe them for everything they did for us."

There was sadness in the crowd, but they understood Dendes reasoning. He made sure to say his goodbye's to everyone in his village, and once he was finished Kakarot locked onto Mister Popo's ki signature and transmitted to earth with Dende.

* * *

It was evening when Kakarot returned to Bulma's home, helping her put the children down for a nap. Their future counterparts hadn't returned yet, worryingly, but Kakarot was sure they were fine.

How odd it was when he looked at the two babies, how he could see that they already had traces of their future personalities. Tanip was a loud child and constantly tossed and turned...and she always laughed at the oddest things. Yesterday she spent half the morning laughing at a sock she found on the floor. Gohan on the other hand was an oddly quiet baby. Very rarely made any noise aside from breathing, and the occassional gurgle. An oddly intense infant, but he'd grow into a smart young man.

"I just can't help but feel that I've screwed those people over, you know? I try to do the right thing, but...Well thinking back on that situation I don't know what the right decision was. And what's worse I just know other questions like that will come my way..." Kakarot explained in a hushed whisper.

"I know this goes against what Kami may have taught you, but...Well sometimes things aren't black and white." Bulma replied, setting Gohan down. She turned the light out and then strolled into the next room with him "How should I put this in a way you can understand...oh! Think of it like that. Every action you take has a ripple effect, and it does something that even you couldn't see coming, something that might only happen years into the future. Like...Killing Frieza for example. At first that seemed a good thing to do, and it was, but for us it had the unforeseen consequence of his brother and father coming after us. And it had the other effect of forming a power vacuum in the galaxy, which could have caused a war if you hadn't intervened in time." Bulma explained.

Kakarot frowned and leaned up against one wall "So what you're saying is, even if I do something good that doesn't mean something bad won't come from it?"

Bulma shrugged her shoulders "More or less. But conversly, good things can ripple out of something bad. Like...You being sent to earth. You were supposed to destroy us, but instead you were taken in and raised to be a hero. Or those androids attacking the planet. Our kids grew into adulthood, and they were able to come back in time to prevent the same disaster here. Maybe you'll be forced to do bad things, but something beneficial can come from that. Like those mercenaries that'll be coming out here to protect the solar system."

"Sheesh. Now I'm gonna be overly cautious over every decision I make..." Kakarot murmured in response. Bulma sighed and touched to side of his face with her warm hands.

"C'mon, you're still a hero. You can make good decisions, but now that you're involved in politics you need to be more pragmatic in your choices." Bulma explained.

"Honestly, I was never meant for politics, I'm a warrior. But what else was I supposed to do? I couldn't risk those other planets tearing each other apart for new worlds to rule. And I certainly couldn't risk other people going after Namek's Dragon Balls." Kakarot explained, rubbing his brow slowly.

"You've got a big heart. Even if it does make you a blockhead." Bulma replied, a teasing smile on her face. "In any event, what do you want to do tonight? I was figuring we could watch a movie like last night, then see where that goes."

A grin crossed Kakarot's face "That does certainly sound appealing. I was thinking that-" he trailed off, suddenly hearing a telepathic message burrow into his mind.

_'L-Lord Kakarot, s-sorry to disturb you! We've recieved distress signals from a planet called Queddo, reports of space pirates pillaging the port planet. We need your help investigating it, the leader is really powerful!'_ The voice in his head was female, vaguely familiar. Didn't matter in all honesty.

He briefly thought and where his allies were. Tien and the other humans were learning that new form of Kaioken. Raditz was likely doing more Instant Transmission lessons. He knew jeice and Burter were handling that bank business for him (And had been instructed to use no unnecessary violence against the natives.) Kami was busy training in the gravity chamber...Ah, this was a matter Kakarot could handle alone.

_'Prepare an attack ball set for this Queddo planet, I'll be there soon.'_ Kakarot messaged back, before glancing back to Bulma.

"You gotta' go, don't you?" she asked, frowning at the spiky haired Saiyan. She gave an annoyed sigh and crossed her arms " don't be too long getting back. You never know what might happen here while you're gone."

Kakarot nodded in response before leaning in and giving Bulma's lips a quick peck. With that he pressed two fingers to his forehead, focused on an an energy signal in the parliament structure, and then he was gone.

* * *

A/N: Next chapter, Kakarot contends with a small contingent of Lord Slugs army, while the evil Namekian himself pays a visit to Earth. Who will be the one to take him down?

Okay, so, before I actually get into answering reviews I'll adress the (Irritating) question people have been posing about Kami's power level. First of all, would it have made for an intersting story if Kai had started off stronger than Frieza? No. No of course not. It's a little thing called dramatic tension, there would be no peril in the story if one of the protagonists was already stronger than the villains of the first two arcs?

In addition, Namekian fusion is vague as fuck. We have no idea how strong a Namekian becomes after fusing with one of his kin, and we have no clue how high the power multiplier for fusion is. We have word of mouth to go on, but in a series like DBZ where every character speaks in hyperbole, we can't trust word of mouth.

Lastly, Kamicollo fusing in canon was vastly stronger for a reason: Piccolo Jr was almost hundreds of times stronger by the time he merged with Kami. He had trained over the span of 14+ years, merged with the single most powerful Namekian left on Namek. If Piccolo Jr had merged with Kami by the Saiyan saga, would he even be close to as powerful as the Kamicollo that fought Android 17? No. No I didn't think so.

**-Shmike: 1. It appears the future the twins came from had 13-16, but here it's presented with Chaotzu and Cell. Did these two exist in the future timeline or did things just skew really quickly here?**

Chiaotzu is the emperor who controlled the androids in the future timeline. Cell also exists in the future timeline, but he's still in his containment pod because Chiaotzu hasn't had any threat big enough to warrant releasing him.

**2. Could 13 absorb the power cores from 16 also?**

Yup

**3. Android Vegeta? Please?**

Nah.

**4. Will Doctor Wheelo make an appearence?**

Of a sort...

**5. Why didn't this so called galactic empire do anything to save their ruler's adoptive world from being conquered by the RRA?**

As was explained, without Kakarot's presence to keep the other worlds in check, in-fighting broke out and the other major powers kicked off a civil war for dominance.

**-Jack: Kree, shi'ar, skrull, and salarians? Nice marvel and mass effect tie ins.**

Yes indeed. But I'm sorry to see nobody got the Doctor Who references.

**-Reishin was that assistant of gero 18?**

Yes indeed. I figured 18 and her brother might have had some closeness to Gero in the past, or had some involvement in the old RRA.

**-Super Vegetarott: I noticed that you've changed the character filter from "Goku and Kami" to "Goku and Raditz." Does this mean that Kami won't be receiving such a big role anymore?**

Oh no no good sir. That was simply a pragmatic decision on my part, I figured that more people would search for fics involving Goku and Raditz together, and that might draw in more attention.

**-SoulAuron: only thing that makes me a little disapointed is kami not fusing with nail, will he do that in the future?**

Uh...Kami did fuse with Nail.

**-Ultimate Black Ace: Is 18 an android in this or is she a normal human?**

She's had a few bits of cybernetics, but not the same super-powerful ones that she had in canon.


	29. Bait

His attack ball swooped through space at a blinding speed, taking the Guardian of Earth toward the besieged planet of Queddo. If he had a better mastery of Instant Transmission he wouldn't need to waste time in an attack ball bringing him close to his destination. As it was now, Kakarot's head was filled with thoughts of how many people were dying while he was wasting time on the flight over.

His flight lasted for roughly 49 minutes at the FTL speed this attack ball was putting out, and once the craft swooped around one moon his eyes beheld the sight of Queddo. And what a sublime sight it was.

From his seat in the cramped attack ball, Kakarot could get a clear view of the destruction being wrought. Massive pools of fire were dotted about the planet, the result of the attackers spreading their focus across the planet. Why would they cause so much needless destruction if they were here for plunder? It made no sense.

Kakarot scowled. It didn't matter, he'd know what they were here for soon enough.

While the attack ball was still moving, Kakarot pressed two fingers to his brow. He focused on one ki signature on the planetside, vanished and then reappeared a split second later amidst the ruined city in front of a figure dressed in ivory armour.

The footsoldier staggered back in shock, trembling slightly when Kakarot glowered at him. "I-it's the Saiya you guys! Get him!" the trooper yelled out. He lunged at Kakarot, swung a kick out, only for Kakarot to catch him by the ankle. With a quick jerk of his muscular arm, Kakarot flung the invader face-first into a mound of rubble that exploded on impact.

Several other soldiers, all wearing the same white battle armour, seemed to come from the shadows. They descended on the Saiyan, throwing high-speed punches and kicks at him. While he was being attacked by at least five people at a time, the vast difference in power meant that the Saiyan seemed capable of blocking just about every strike. Even the ones that did break his guard were just glancing blows that barely scathed him.

Kakarot's palm shot up like a rocket, striking the chestplate of one trooper and sending him hurtling dozens of metres into the sky, clutching his broken ribs. His elbow swooped back, cracking the purple visor of one trooper and leaving him sprawled out flat on his ass. He felt a firm knee in his gut, striking him with enough force to send him sending him skidding back by about a metre "Hmph. Actually felt that one." Kakarot mused.

A bolt of lightning exploded from Kakarot's eyes, exploding against the soldier who kneed him and leaving him sprawled on the ground unconscious with a smoking wound in his chest. With blinding speed, he backhanded one other soldier across the face and accidentaly snapped his neck from the force. One trooper remained and Kakarot quickly caught both of his fists and twisted them to the breaking point "Now tell me. Who is your leader?"

"I'll...I'll never talk!" The trooper spat, his voice clearly laced with pain. Kakarot gave the tiniest twist of the soldiers wrists, making him yowl in white hot agony "Son of a bitch!" his hissed, trembling.

"Never is a long time." Kakarot remarked, his face taut with annoyance and a barely-contained rage at the sight of the ruined city around him. "Think you can put up with this pain for the rest of your days?" Kakarot asked sarcastically.

The restrained soldier sucked in air through his teeth, and his whole body seemed to tremble at an even greater speed. "Th-there...He's up in the sky you stupid monkey!" he yelled.

The Super Saiyan turned his head slightly, looking up at the crowd of soldiers in the sky. At the front was a larger armoured figure with an abnormally high power level. By Kakarot's estimation, he was more than twice as powerful as Vegeta was when he appeared on earth. An impressive degree of strength, but even Yajirobe could kick this guys ass at this point.

Zeeun smirked beneath his visor, his eyes narrowing on Kakarot. "Tch, this is the fearsome Super Saiyan?" he asked aloud, watching as Kakarot smashed the restrained soldier into the earth with enough force to knock him out. "He doesn't seem so tough. And just look at that stupid hairdo of his." If only he had the ability to sense energy.

Kakarot glared at Zeeun, and then leapt straight up into the sky. He paused himself when he was eye-level with the horned, orange-skinned alien. "Why did you attack this planet? You have to have known I'd come after you."

"Of course we knew." Zeeun said with a grin. "Get 'em boys!" the bawdy alien yelled, his platoon of soldiers yelling in response and dashing at Kakarot. Now the Saiyan wasn't going to waste the time allowing these men to get their free shots at him. He shot forward so fast that he vanished from view, and he started to smash his foes down with precise punches and kicks that sent the soldiers hurtling to the ground unconscious. There would be jailers here soon enough to restrain the survivors.

He moved like a white bullet, striking down anyone he reached. Any ki blasts that got close enough to him were swatted away with the ease of swatting a fly. With a powerful kiai from his palm he smashed down a cluster of four Slug Soldiers into the shattered asphalt below, leaving them sprawled out on the earth.

Now, it was only Zeeun left.

"Just you and me left now big man. Let's see how tough you are against someone stronger than you. Let's see how tough you are when you don't have an army at your back." Kakarot spat. A white aura swirled around his body as he reached the peak of his base forms power. He wouldn't need to transform against this mook.

Zeeun grinned wickedly and assumed a fighting stance. He knew something that Kakarot didn't...and the Saiyan was determined to get some answers from him.

* * *

The weight of 150 times normal Earth gravity was growing lighter with every passing day Kami found. He was able to flip about in the enhanced gravity of the Capsule Corp training chamber at an incredible speed, swinging out powerful punches and kicks at the air. Sweat gleamed along his green skin and made him look almost waxy.

Ever since he learned of his death in the future at the hands of the Androids, he had really become more rigorous and intense with his training. He was determined to avert his own grizzly end, and if Kakarot was to be out of commission for even a little while then he needed someone strong to temporarily take over his duties.

As Kami flipped onto his hands and tried to hold his weighted body upright in the intense gravity, he thought back on his power compared to the others. By now he had grown stronger than Raditz and Kakarot in their base forms, but he had noted that once they turned into Super Saiyans there was still a massive gap in strength. He was still stronger than all the humans, but they could close the gap with that new Kaioken form of there's, even if it was still in the works.

He had noticed that his training seemed to be progressing far faster now than it had in the past. It certainly made sense, he was technically three Namekians right now, and he likely had the physical potential of three Namekians.

With a grunt of exertion, Kami started to ush himself up and down while holding his body aloft in a hand-stand position. It went on for several minutes, but just as he reached the 48th push up a sudden high power-level caught his attention and snapped him from his thoughts.

He flipped up onto his feet and dashed for the control panel, shutting off the increased gravity. "Several high power levels, fast approaching earth..." Kami growled aloud. "I don't like this, not one bit..."

He moved like a blur, dashing through the corridors of the Capsule Corp building until he reached the main exit. As he stepped out onto the grass, he could sense the ki signatures approaching earth at a blinding pace. He scowled and floated up into the air, scanning for the incoming energies. No doubt the others had sensed it too, they'd show up soon enough.

His white aura flashed around his body, and then Kami set off through the air in the hopes of intercepting the incoming craft.

* * *

Zeeun moved so fast that he left a sonic boom in the air, his fist cocked back to deliver a mighty punch. His fist swung out, set on a collision course with Kakarot's face. At the last second he swerved his head, lazily avoiding the swipe. Zeeun yelled like a wild animal and shot his foot back, aimed at Kakarot's stomach, but all he seemed to strike was an afterimage.

Kakarot reappeared above Zeeun, his hands clamped above his head, and with a yell he drove hsi clamped fists into the orange aliens back with enoug force to send him hurtling straight down to the concrete below. With lightning fast speed he shot downward and then kicked Zeeun in the side of the helmet with enough force to smash him clean through several shattered skyscrapers.

Rubble slid off of Zeeun as he pushed himself up onto his hands and knees. Cracks ran along several ivory plates of his armour, the floor seemed to shift and creak whenever the orange-skinned alien moved himself. If it had been Wings here and now, the floor would have outright collapsed from the weight of his paunch.

The area was suddenly illuminated in a glowing golden light, and Zeeun could hear the distinct sound of a ki blast whistling his way. He pushed himslf up fully and leapt clean into the sky, but the explosive force behind Kakarot's blast was so intense that he was caught by the shockwave of it. It hit him like a sledgehammer, wracking his whole body with pain and sending him hurtling straight up into the air in a daze.

He managed to teady himsel and stop his rapid ascent after a few moments. In a flash, Kakarot was in the air directly before Zeeun, and with a shocked gasp he staggered away from the Saiyan.

"Y..You..." Zeeun hissed. He came out here knowing he would likely die...Hell, Lord Slug had pretty much told him as much. Still, he didn't think he would be this outclassed. He was the second weakest of the elite, and he briefly pondered how well the others would do in his position. Zeeun managed to sneer. At least he could hope this fool would lose to Lord Slug himself once he got his wish.

"Now then. I think you're thoroughly aware how outmatched you are. As it stands, I haven't even transformed, so even if you could match me now I could still surpass you." Kakarot explained, his unblinking gaze firmly focused on the terrorist before him. He was filled with a tranquil fury right now and barely containing himself. "Tell me. Why. Did. You. Attack Queddo?" he asked.

In response, Zeeun snarled and started to swing out wild punches and kicks at Kakarot. This time the Saiyan made no move to block or dodge and let every blow hit home. Various punches and kicks struck him in the face or the stomach, but did little more than make the Saiyan stagger back slightly. "I'm not talking you stupid Saiyan mo-"

Kakarot backhanded Zeeun across the face, with such force that the impact sounded like a whip cracking. The power of the impact dislodged a tooth from his mouth and sentit flying from his mouth. "If there's one thing I'm sick of hearing, it's being called a monkey." Kakarot growled.

Zeeun grunted and staggered up to his feet. He quickly charged a ball of energy in his hand and he was set to launch it. In a flash, Kakarot caught his wrist and broke it like dry wood, the energy dissipating a second later. "F-fuck..." he hissed, staggering backward and clutching his broken wrist "Won't...won't talk."

Kakarot narrowed his eyes "You sure about that...?" he asked in a grim tone "I have time on my hand, and you have plenty of bones I can break." he could see the fear grow in Zeeun's eyes.

He quickly wrapped is hand around the front of Zeeun's helmet, holding him upright "Are you ready to talk?" he asked, the pressure on Zeeun's helmet gradually growing.

The Saiyan watched as Zeeun opened his mouth and started to speak.

* * *

"You have to focus the energy of the Kaioken into specific areas." Tien explained, watching as the other humans amplified their strength solely in order to hold massive boulders above their head. "That's the drawback of the normal Kaioken. It amplifies all physical aspects at once, and the strain of that will quickly build on you."

The triclops circled around the other human warriors, watching the sweat building on their skin. "By focusing solely on amplifying your strength, or your speed, or your durability or the force behind your energy attacks, not only can you amplify those powers to a high degree but the fatigue will build at a much slower rate."

While Tien let the others to their training exercises, he let his mind wander. In little over two years time, malicious androids would arrive and kill all the defenders of the planet if they weren't prepared enough. And if they fell, then these machines would establish a cruel global dictatorship.

But there was one thing even more disturbing. There was now the lingering possibility in Tien's mind that Chiaotzu was the one behind it.

He hadn't told anyone of his dreams, for two reasons. Firstly he was unsure that anything in that dream of his was even remotely valid. Second, anyone who knew Chiaotzu wouldn't believe him capable of such cruelty. Tien wondered for a moment, contemplating the kind of pain Chiaotzu must have endured at the hands of the army...Wanting so desperately to be saved, only for no salvation to come.

Suddenly, he sensed something, a few foreign power levels heading straight toward the earth. The others must have all sensed it too, as they flung their boulders away and looked toward Tien.

"These are all new energies. We should probably investigate." Nam remarked, cracking his neck and then his knuckles.

"Can't be the Androids, according to those twins they don't have any energy signatures." Chi Chi added, wiping the sweat from her brow with one crimson wristband.

Krillin was humming in thought "They didn't mention any other threats but the Androids, so what do you think this could be?" the bald monk asked. He looked skyward and focused on the rapidly approaching energy signatures "I guess it doesn't matter too much. I think we can handle them if they're a threat, their energy isn't all that amazing."

Tien shrugged and then a crimson glow enveloped his body "Let's check it out anyway. I don't like this." he remarked. With that they took off, amplifying their speed twentyfold with Zen Kaioken. They met up with Kami as they flew, but very few words were exchanged. They all knew what they were here for, no sense in restating the obvious.

A massive black sphere broke through the clouds in the distance, looking no more than a speck from where the defenders of earth were. It was like a comet, lighting the horizon ablaze with its orange glow. It impacted against the ground, and the Z-warriors had to shield their eyes from the blinding flash of light.

The comet sent tremors through the air, gales of wind that managed to push the gathered warriors back through the air slightly. They managed to hold fast, and soon enough the onslaught of blustering winds came to an end and the burning light faded away to nothing.

In the distance, within a newly formed crater at the heart of a once active forest, sat a ship. An ebony cylinder with odd spider-like legs anchoring it to the ground. A landing ramp slowly extended from the maw of the craft, and an army of beings in ivory armour walked out. Their suits protected them from Earth's environment, one that was hazardous to them.

Lord Slug had landed on earth.

* * *

"So that's it huh?" Kakarot asked once Zeeun finished his tale. "Your boss heard about Earth's Dragon Balls after intercepting some transmissions from Nappa and Vegeta? And since Frieza's gone, he saw no risk of being detected if he headed to Earth?" Zeeun nodded slowly.

The spiky haired Saiyan slowly shook his head, his annoyance plainely visible "So he's heading there to get his youth back and restore his power..." Kakarot knew he hadn't given ownership of Shenron to Dende just yet as the boy was still getting used to the Lookout, so thankfully Slug would only get one wish for the time being. Still, things were going to get problematic from this.

Kakarot slowly surveyed the blazing ruins of the city around them, and a scowl slowly crossed his face. "You caused all this destruction...Killed all these people...Just for my attention." He flung Zeeun several metres away and left him sprawled out in one field of rubble. "I'm sure the authorities will find a suitable punishment for you."

Just as Kakarot turned his back on Zeeun and started scanning the skies for the energy signatures in the parliament building, Zeeun raised his unbroken wrist up. He took aim and started to gather every last drop of ki he had left into his palm, creating a ball of purple light.

With a loud yell Zeeun launched the attack, bathing the ruined city in its purple shade. Kakarot spun around, a look of pure rage on his face. His golden aura exploded from his body as he transformed, and the Super Saiyan quickly fired off a blue beam of light from his hand. His attack quickly engulfed Zeeun's own and rapidly overpowered it. The orange alien screamed bloody murder before the attack connected, and in a flashy explosion he was disintegrated.

Kakarot watched the smoking crater for a few more moments, before slowly powering down to his base form. He focused on Raditz' ki, and then he vanished with IT.

* * *

A/N: Next chapter, Lord Slug sends his army across the planet in search of the Dragon Balls. Will he get his wish? With the power of the Z-fighters, would it even matter? And does Kami have some sort of secret ability?

Oh yeah, we're getting close to 500 reviews! Cheers!

**Chaorrupted X: This story is really interesting but the only problem i see is that krillin is a super beast and goku and raditz are secondary characcters**

Uh, Krillin hasn't done anything noteworthy other than beat Vegeta and pass on the Kaioken. Kakarot and Raditz were the ones who did the most against Frieza, Cold and Cooler.

**Spawnx66: if you plan on raditz and chichi ever having a kid, is chichi gonna get all study obsessed like she was in the original story, or is she still gonna be a useful fighter**

That remains to be seen. But Chi Chi in this story has grown up being more obsessed with fighting than romance, so it's likely she'd want her kid to be a fighter too. If she had one.

**BlueTdragon (Chapter 6): Would Kakarot, Raditz, and Kami would have gotten stronger if they weren't training the others? I know they mostly sparred with each other, but they did seem to spend a good amount of time training up the others at the same time **

Sure, they would have gotten stronger. Not by enough to surpass Vegeta though.

**warriorofdark: 1. Will 13 be absoring the power cores of all 3 of his partners 14 15 and 16. 2. Which androids will cell have to absorb to be complete**

We'll see what happens with the redcoats as time goes on. As for Cell...Well, let's just say he'l function VERY differently compared to the canon Cell.

**Super Vegetarott: I really enjoyed the way you wrote that Chiaotzu nightmare; it reminded me of Frieza's nightmare in Fall of Lord Frieza somewhat. Which fic do you prefer more to write; The Fall of Lord Frieza or Guardian?**

Honestly it's a tough choice. On the one hand I get to write a heroic Frieza, and on the other I get to imagine a DB universe where Goku was gone for the first part of the manga. I have to say though, I do mildly prefer writing Guardian. I have a longer timeline to work with and more of the lore I can change.

**PvP DBM: About other franchised aliens... Will we see Ki wielding versions of them? Or maybe some psi, tech, magic user of DBZ proportions in later sagas?**

Nah, most likely not. They were mainly there to act as shout-outs to my favourite franchises.

**Apope: could you possibly include Miira/Towa(Just a Suggestion)?**

Oh I dunno...I know next to nothing about DBO.


	30. The New Invaders

Finding elusive artefacts such as the Dragon Balls could take some time, particularly without the use of a Dragon Radar. However with large enough numbers, an army could quickly scour a planet in search of them. Such was Lord Slug's plan.

He had sent a battalion of his men across the world, their hypersonic speeds allowing them to move from continent to continent at a rapid pace. They knew full well what they were scouring for, one of the benefits of being bossed around by a Namekian. Who knew more about the Dragon Balls than a Namek? It wouldn't be easy for the soldiers to overturn every stone in search of the Dragon Balls, but their convenience was hardly Slug's concern.

For their part, the Z-Fighters had assembled on a rocky ridge overlooking the giant black spacecraft. they had made no moves against the group thus far as they were unsure what was going on. They weren't remnants of Frieza's forces, totally different gear and insignia's.

These people might be from those mercenary groups Kakarot was talking about. That was Yamcha's suggestion to their purpose at least. Chi Chi wasn't so certain of that however. Why would they be exploring the planet if they were supposed to be protecting it from space threats? And why would they be showing up without a word of notice from Kakarot? It didn't add up.

"I say that we should move in." Krillin suggested finally, his tense posture clearly showing how on edge he was. "We should investigate these guys, see what they're doing. I mean, if they're allies they should have nothing to hide...But from what I saw on Namek, I can't help but be paranoid about aliens in power armour showing up on our planet."

"They haven't acted against us yet." Kami replied, his unblinking gaze focused solely on the on the black craft. He noticed one figure standing just outside the ship, a towering figure concealed by a black cape and cowl. There was something bizarre about that figure, something that seemed to be both familiar and foreboding about him. He had a decent power level, slightly weaker than Frieza's first form.

Tien also seemed to be eyeing the hooded being with great curiousity "It's not everyday you see a person with a power level like that." said the triclops.

Kami nodded "That's very true. Right now he doesn't pose too much of a threat on his own given how much we've all trained, but a strength like that is uncommon. I have to wonder how he got so strong...On the plus side, the majority of those soldiers aren't all that impressive."

Chi Chi scratched ar her cheek slowly while her other hand came to rest at her hip "I don't like this. Buuuut I don't wanna' be a xenophobe or anything, so I say we just watch them for now. See what they're up too...Hell, maybe they're space tourists."

"Is that even a thing?" Yamcha mused aloud.

"I'd do it if it was." Nam replied. A grin slowly spread across his face "I wonder if Bulma would be willing to sell that spaceship of hers to me...I know I'd put it to good use, there's definitely alot of space out there that's left to be seen."

The group of warriors stood and waited for the longest time, simply observing the alien craft. Hours must have gone by with how the sun's light went dimmer and dimmer, yet the spotlights on the spacecraft kept everything visible. It didn't seem like the army of white-armoured space warriors would ever return with the way things were going.

Finally one group of the soldiers returned. The another, and another. Soon seven groups of the alien footsoldiers had landed in the lamplight outside the ship and bowed before the hooded figure. Definitely the leader of the bunch, but his face was still concealed entirely.

The group of soldiers started to place objects on the ground before the cloaked figure, but from the distance it was hard to tell what they were. "Darn...I can't tell exactly what those things are..." Yamcha remarked, straining his eyes as best he could.

"I can." Kami said aloud, his arms crossed "Even from this distance, I'd recognise them anywhere." all the Z-warriors looked to the towering Namekian closely, their curiosity building. A powerful light was building near the spacecraft and growing stronger with each passing second "They have the Dragon Balls."

A sense of shock and dread ran through the group. This guy was bringing back painful memories of what they saw on Namek. "Let's move in, quick." Tien said, flashing his pure white aura up and blasting off toward the spaceship and the army outside it. The others wasted no time following him.

* * *

Kakarot rematerialised in one small hallway of the galactic parliament building, winding up right beside Raditz. The shock made the long haired Saiyan yelp and leap back from the sudden shock. "God Kakarot! Don't DO that!" he snarled.

Kakarot blinked, suddenly feeling quite awkward. As he moved his fingers from his forehead he mused that suddenly appearing beside someone with Instant Transmission must have been quite shocking. "Oh, right...S-sorry..." he murmured, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

Raditz glared at his younger brother before slowly exhaling "Fine. It's fine..." The older Saiyan tried to stand up proudly once again, ignoring the embarrassment from earlier "So what's up? Didn't you go out to that Queddo planet earlier?"

"Yeah, I did. That's kind of the problem right now Raditz the whole attack on the planet was just a distraction to get my attention." Kakarot explained. His expression returned to its former stoic position, trying to ignore the previous awkwardness.

"Why would they want to do that?" Raditz asked, frowning now.

Kakarot took in a breath, for this was going to be a mouthful "The leader of those bandits was working for some guy by the name of Lord Slug. He wanted to draw my attention so that Lord Slug could head to earth and gather the Dragon Balls. He apparently wants to restore his youth and his power."

"Lord Slug huh...Yeah, that name sounds familiar alright..." Raditz replied, stroking his chin in thought and trying to think back "Yeah, he was one of the factions posing a threat to Frieza's Planet Trade, regularly made attacks on our outposts. I never saw Slug in person, but when I was working with Vegeta and Nappa I fought some of the guys footsoldiers. He's no Frieza, I'll say that much about the guy..."

The younger Saiyan grunted in annoyance "That doesn't matter, the guy's still a mass-murderer and I plan to bring him to justice. And I certainly don't trust a guy like him anywhere near the Dragon Balls." Kakarot explained in an annoyed fashion.

The long-haired Saiyan nodded in unerstanding and then walked past his sibling "Okay, I'm in. Just give me a second, I need to patch myself up a little in the med-bay. Soba packs a punch."

Kakarot blinked in shock and then hastily followed Raditz "Damnit, are you serious? We can't afford to waste time on this..."

"Oh just relax little brother. Have a little faith in the humans would you? They've trained their asses off, they can survive against Slug without us." Raditz replied dryly.

* * *

Soon after the Z-warriors had shot off toward the alien craft, the golden form of Shenron shot up into the sky from the assembled Dragon Balls. The sky blackened above and only the ethereal golden glow that surrounded Shenron's green scaly body provided any light to the area. His giant serpentine form was a beacon that could be seen for miles around. Lightning rumbled around in the jet black clouds above, flickering with a faint light that was drowned out by Shenron's own glow.

It didn't take long for the gathering of footsoldiers to notice the incoming group, and they responded to the threat in a completely rational way. In that, the group all took aim and opened fire on the Z-warriors, a sea of explosions chasing them through the sky.

Each individual attack as relatively low in power, but their high volume of blasts did really add up. They slowed down Kami and the advancing humans, but Slug's elite guard became quickly aware that the footsoldiers efforts wouldn't by their master enough time to make his wish.

Wings, the bulky orange creature with the large bat-wings on his broad back, was the one who took off into the sky first. As Chi Chi broke through the cloud of perpetual explosions in the sky first, she was the one he charged at first.

He was decently powerful Chi Chi had to admit, and surprisingly fast despite his bulk. He swung wild and untrained punches and kicks at the Ox Princess, who ducked and weaved her body to avoid the barrage of blows. "Geez...Why do the bad guys always have big brute guys like you with them? You, Nappa that Dodoria guy...Way to be original."

The insults earned an enraged roar from Wings "Shut your mouth!" he yelled, swinging a blind punch at the human. Just the opening she needed. She swung a chop at Wings' temple and struck the side of his helmet. The power of the blow sent cracks running along the side of the helmet and knocked Wings back through the air, his ears ringing from the strength of the impact.

In the distance, Slug tried his best to ignore the commotion around him. He couldn't waste time on this, not when his goal was so close. "TELL ME YOUR WISH AND I WILL GRANT IT." Shenron boomed out, his voice carrying quite a distance just like the heavenly light of his body "SPEAK QUICKLY. MY PATIENCE IS NOT INFINITE."

"DRAGON!" Slug yelled out, raising his arms to the skies "I WISH FOR ALL MY OLD POWER BACK! I WISH FOR ETERNAL YOUTH!"

Kami quirked his brow when that sentence reached him "Something about all of this seems REALLY familiar..." he murmured to himself, spinning away from another energy wave as he did.

"I'm gonna break your jaw, you stupid useless human cow!" Wings snarled, driving forward and smashing his palm into Chi Chi's gut. The wind was knocked out of her, and the disorientating blow staggered her to the point where Wings could land another punch that sent the human woman spiralling backward through the air.

"Cow? You're one to talk you fat bastard..." Chi Chi spat, steadying herself through the air. She shot forth, her body now glowing crimson as she enhanced her speed with Zen Kaioken. The Ox Princess started to move just as Shenron's light magnified when he granted Slug's wish.

Slug examined his wrinkled, gnarled hands as the life an vitality was restored to them. A low, rising cackle escaped his throat as his skin became smoother, his muscles grew more defined and his flesh regained it's youthful green shade. His power skyrocketed, something easily noticed by those present. By Kami's estimation, he might have reached the level of strength being put out by Frieza's third form.

Chi Chi focused on brawling with Wings, her enhanced speed now completely outclassing the flabby demon. Her fist caught his chestplate, cracking the white armour and launching him up into the sky. She swiftly dashed up after him, her heels striking his helmet on the undamaged side and cracking it further while also launching him across the sky. The scarlet halo of light surrounding her body crackled with a greater power as she boosted her speed even further.

The raven-haired woman moved swiftly to intercept him. A snap kick and the disoriented demon spawn was sent hurtling away into the air. Chi Chi clasped her hands at her hips and started to charge a Kamehameha wave.

Shenron's whole body began to glow golden. The seven Dragon Balls rose up into the sky as the eternal dragon's gigantic form compressed into a mass of light. Finally the seven Dragon Balls shot across the skies in random directions, while the dark clouds overhanging in the air seemed to vanish entirely.

The stumpy hunchbacked creature known as Medamatcha flew up into the sky, his aura exploding around his body. He surged toward Yamcha once he broke through the energy barrage in the sky, the two clashing and sending a shockwave through the air.

The wave of pale blue light flew from Chi Chi's clasped hands, its speed being boosted by Chi Chi's kaioken. It pursued the barely conscious gargoyle through the air and then struck him in the back. An eruption of blue light lit up the sky, the energy of the wave so powerful that it utterly vaporised Wings.

"Never call me useless..." Chi Chi spat, lowering her hands.

The blows exchanged between Yamcha and Medamatcha were fast and furious, each flurry of punches made by one warrior being blocked by the other. Yamcha was evidently freaked out by the bug-eyed goblin, but he was unwilling to let up.

The last of Lord Slug's elite, the blue-skinned pretty boy by the name of Angila, shot up into the air next. His arm, and the fabric on his arm, stretched out like rubber and caught Tien around the ankle. Then, with a firm yank of his arm he sent the triclops hurtling and clashing into the rocky ground below.

Tien's body bounced when it struck the rock, but he managed to flip and land on his feet. His three eyes glared toward Angila as he landed a few feet from Tien, his arms retracted and folded over his chest. "I'd advise telling your friends to stand down while they still can." Angila began "You're not the first group of native to be crushed under Lord Slug's heel, and now that he has his youth you will not be the last. Surrender."

"In your dreams." Tien spat "You aren't the first bunch of aliens to come here and threaten Earth...and you won't be the last." He fired toward the alien, who flew at him in response. Their fists collided with a powerful shockwave of force, shattering the earth directly below them.

By now the assembled mass of footsoldiers took to the skies, their power ranging from weak to mildly impressive. They swarmed around Nam, Krillin and Chi Chi, forcing the three human warriors onto the defensive due to the numbers attacking them from every conceivable angle. For every soldier they knocked away, another two would move to fill in the gaps.

Kami ignored the soldiers and the elites and instead flew down to the towering form of Lord Slug. Kami landed directly across from him, a glare on his face "Eternal youth huh? You're hardly breaking new ground in the wish department."

Lord Slug seemed slightly surprised when he set his eyes on Kami "A Namek huh? Guess that explains where this world got its Dragon Balls from." he replied.

One of Kami's eyebrows raised slowly in confusion "You know about the relationship between the Namekians and the Dragon Balls?" he asked.

"Well, yeah. But I figured there'd be no point getting within a hundred lightyears of Namek if Frieza was gonna' be there..." Lord Slug replied. He untied the strings of his cloak and then tossed it away letting it crumple on the ground behind him. Kami's eyes widened in shock.

Even if the pointed ears and then antennae were concealed by the purple helmet on Slug's head, there was no doubt in Kami's mind that he was staring at a Namek. A rather buff Namek with a lantern jaw and a nasty scar over one eye, but still a Namek. "You seem a little shocked What were you expecting me to be with a name like Slug? A filthy Saiyan?"

Kami gave an irritated grunt and got into a fighting stance "I don't take kindly to people insulting Saiyans." he replied flatly.

Slug seemed to ignore Kami's words while he lazily cracked his knuckles and worked the kinks from his neck "Ya know...I almost feel a little bad about having to kill you, since I'm betting those Dragon Balls are tied to you. I was kind of hoping to get some more wishes from them. Ah well, I've done all manner of terrible things in the past. One more won't hurt."

* * *

A/N: Next chapter, Kami goes head to head with Slug in the Namekian smackdown of the century. At the same time the humans take on Slugs army while the Saiyan brothers return to earth.

I'll say this much, I'm not too happy about this chapter. It feels too short for my liking, but I did want to drag this out for one more chapter. The last battle with Slug will reveal something new for Kami and provide him with a new, very useful technique.

Also I should say this: We beat the 500 review mark! Hot damn, his fic just rakes the reviews in doesn't it? Thanks to all my reviewers, I just want to gobble you all up like lollipops.

**-Guest: shame. i was hoping to see a ki wielding salarian. loved the chapter though**

Well, you might see another Salarian show up. They are pretty awesome.

**-Dreadent: Also, Will you do Buu saga for this, or pull another Raichi saga? I really liked the Raichi saga in fall of lord Frieza, but it doesn't seem like you can do much different things with it in here. It'll basically be the exact same outcome, but with slightly different variables. I'd like to see what you can do with Buu saga. This already seems interesting and using the Buu saga could make it even more so.**

Well I could make the Raichi saga in FoLF because Raichi couldn't make Frieza and Cooler into Ghost Warriors, nor could he add Slug and Turles into his system as they don't exist in that continuity. So Raichi had to bum around and spend more time gathering energy to fuel Hatchiyack. In this we'll have Buu, but it'll have very few of the shitty elements from canon.

**- lemonlime77: Does Inyon still exist (albeit probably without a way to evr get off of that planet she's on)**

Well...I think you might be surprised in the near future when it comes to the lovely insane Saiyaness.

**Wait, what would stop Raichi and Hatchiyack fro killing the Majin Crew like in tFoLF anyway?**

As stated above, there are reasons why Raichi avoided earth for longer than normal. In this continuity he never encounters Babidi's spaceship and thus Raichi never destroys it.

**It really seems like you like bisecting people vertically in this story. First Vegeta, the half of Cold!Ginyu and now Red in one of the worst ways I could possibly imagine dying. I'm not saying it's bad, I'm just noticing the recurring element of it.**

Eh, it's just a neat bit of gore, and it's fairly simple to describe the action in all honesty. Grizzly deaths for vile villains.

**-Super Vegetarott: I'm wondering if Grandpa Gohan is still alive in this continuity. **

Gohan Senior is still alive and lives n Mount Paozu. But as he didn't drink from the fountain of youth like Roshi did he lacks the ability to really fight now at this point in time.

**-jcogginsa: regarding Krillin, in this canon was he the one who fought Tien in the 22nd tournement finals? and who fought Jackie Chun in the 21st?**

Krillin fought Jackie at the 21st. He was also the one who fought Tien at th 22nd, but lost to him in the finals as Tien proved to be stronger.

**Also, have you read any spoilers for Battle of the Gods yet? or are you waiting for a subtitled version?**

I know the basics of the plot. I still want to see a full version though.


	31. Smackdown

Slug seemed cocky to say the least. That smug look on his face, the arrogance in his posturing. He could sense ki, and he should have been aware that Kami's level of power should have been close enough to his own. Yet his posture and fighting stance seemed very dismissive of Kami, only barely registering him as a threat.

Kami was going to make sure to beat the smugness out of him.

The ground shattered under Kami's foot as he pushed himself forward. He moved forward so fast that his body seemed to blur, a green and white comet heading straight toward the other Namekian. Slug was motionless, observing every motion of his fellow Namek, set to defend himself in whatever matter seemed appropriate.

His arm raised up and Kami's fist came crashing against the evil Namekian's upraised forearm, the ensuing force releasing a shockwave that shattered the rock beneath them. They started a vicious back and forth, Slug and Kami seemingly deadlocked as they struck back and forth at each other. No blow seemed to break through the other's guard, but the force behind the attacks was so intense that it could be felt by the warriors duking it out in the sky above.

Slug shot himself forth and drove his shoulder into Kami's ribs, sending his fellow Namek soaring back across the ground. He flipped up onto his feet, clutching his chest, and then he swung his body to one side to avoid a kick to the face from the villainous Namekian.

Kami swerved again, narrowly avoiding a downward chop from his foe. In a flash he caught Slug's arm before he could pull back, and then kneed him in the stomach with such force that the villain retched up some blood. His knee drove in a second time, then a third time, each blow making Slug gag from the pain.

His head turned and his eyes flashed with a menacing purple light. The eyebeams erupted from Lord Slug's eyes in a blinding burst, catching Kami completely off guard. The beams exploded against his chest with such force that the top half of his gi was burnt off and portions of green flesh sizzled and blackened. He staggered, releasing his grip on his foe, and in response the demonic Namekian struck him in the jaw with a firm uppercut that sent Kami hurtling over a dozen metres into the air.

The former Guardian of Earth managed to steady himself in the sky just as Slug took aim at his airborn form, a golden spark of energy on his fingertip. The small beam flew from Slug's finger at a shocking speed, and Kami quickly rotated his body in the air to avoid being speared. It struck one of Slug's soldiers in the back by accident, killing him instantly from the intense burst of energy on impact. Slug didn't even seem to notice. Dirty team-killer.

While the two Namekians dueled below, the entirety of Slug's army found themselves facing off against the human Z-warriors. Chi Chi, Nam and Krillin were stuck fighting off the army of footsoldiers who were striking at them from more or less every possible angle. Down below them Tien was dueling with Angila, the two seemingly even for the time being. Yamcha and the grotesque goblin known as Medamatcha were also battling, though it seemed Yamcha had forced the stumpy creature onto the defensive.

Yamcha's palm drove into the side of Medamatcha's helmet, making him stagger backward from the power behind the blow. His head was ringing, barbs of pain filling his skull. He hissed in pan and lashed out wildly at the former bandit, swinging wild punches and chops at Yamcha.

The black-haired warrior dodged and blocked every incoming strike with mild difficulty. It seemed that the stumpy creature was getting slower and slower, and as his enviro-suit prevented him from using his duplicates it seemed he was without his ace in the hole.

Though, that didn't mean he couldn't try and absorb Yamcha's energy in another way.

The white armour covering his palms opened up, and Medamatcha grinned wickedly beneath his visor. He anticipated Yamcha's attack, and then he leapt up at the last possible second to dodge the slammed his palms into the sides of Yamcha's face and cackled with glee as he began to suck Yamcha's ki directly into his body.

The pain was intense, a burning that ran through every muscle in Yamcha's body. He yelled out in agony, feeling his strength being sapped away by the obnoxious gremlin, but the bandit managed to steady himself long enough to drive his fist into Medamatcha's stomach and knock him away. The creature flipped back, still cackling despite the pain in his gut.

In a flash the goblin started moving again, his body a white comet circling around Yamcha. By his own estimation he had just absorbed about 15% of Yamcha's power, and the increase in all his physical tributes were quite apparent.

He dashed forth, striking Yamcha across the face with his heel. As Yamcha staggered back Medamatcha's oversized forearm swung out and struck him across the face with the back of his hand. Yamcha stumbled, desperately tried to regain his footing, only to be kicked through the air by the stumpy monster kicking him in the back.

Yamcha tumbled and spiralled through the air for a few seconds before managing to halt himself. He glared at the green-skinned midget who was hooting and hollering at Yamcha's pain "Heehee! Wow, what a weakling! You are one pathetic earthling! Are you these guys pet or something? How else can a weakling like you hang out with the others?"

Yamcha grit his teeth. This little bastard had the nerve to mock him? If there was one thing he couldn't stand, it was little trolls like this guy.

A halo of crackling red light formed around his body, and the former bandit began to multiply his speed twentyfold with the power of the Kaioken "Alright you little bastard, it's on now! Get ready for a taste of my Wolf Fang Fist!"

Yamcha zipped forth through the sky, and before Medamatcha could even perceive the attack Yamcha had already driven his knee into Medamatcha's gut. It was a strong enough attack, sending cracks up along the ivory surface of his armour, but Yamcha's enhanced speed was what made it truly phenomenal.

Yamcha augmented his speed even further, now 25 times beyond its base, and then he was off. He circled around his foe, hammering him from all sides with rapid punches that cracked all along his enviro-suit. The mutant Namek's head was ringing, he was so dizzy from the onslaught of attacks that he couldn't even form a coherent thought or even ponder a counter-attack. Those rapid blows, they were like the swipes of a wolf's claws.

Finally, after about a minute of rapid-blows Medamatcha was staggered away. Yamcha moved before him. He clasped his hands together, like the snapping jaws of a mad wolf, and then he started to boost his strength rather than his speed. His muscles flared outard slightly from the halo of red light around his body, boosting his physical might thirtyfold.

"Wolf Fang Fist!"

His hands drove forth and time seemed to slow down when his palms crashed into the slightly cracked visor. The reinforced glass utterly shattered into shards, the armoured plating broke away and scattered like shrapnel. The skin of the alien's face rippled like jelly and then tore away with the rest of his exploding skull as Yamcha's hands moved in further. A pulpy red cloud erupted where Medamatcha's head had once been, staining Yamcha's arms red. Two oversized eyes flew up into the air and then fell down to earth.

"That's nasty." Yamcha grunted, flicking blood, brain matter and skull fragments off his hands, watching Medamatcha's headless body fall to the ground.

Up above a plume of golden light burst from Nam's fist, spearing several of Slug's footsoldiers before him. Krillin's legs swung around with a powerful roundhouse kick that sent a few of his own attackers hurtling away through the sky either unconscious or dead. Chi Chi seemed to be having a whale of a time, striking down foes with rapid jabs or kicks. The numbers against them were fast dwindling.

There was the sound of rushing wind, and then suddenly two new allies joined the fray. "Testing out the teleportation?" Krillin asked, smirking at Raditz as he struck down one trooper with a casual chop. Hard to believe that a few years ago that the long-haired Saiyan had killed him, now they were allies of all things.

"Well it was either that or it would take us an eternity to get here. FTL spacecraft just aren't up to the task." kakarot replied. He shoved one hand out, launching a kiai that sent 4 foes spiralling away through the sky.

"So how have things been on your end?" Raditz asked, glancing Chi Chi's way "These guys giving you much in the way of trouble?"

Chi Chi gave a derisive snort "Hell no. They make for a decent warm-up for the Androids though. Kami's fighting their leader down there, seems to be holding his own well enough."

Kakarot glanced down at his mentor and adopted father, noticing the two Super Nameks seemed near-equal in power. They seemed dead even right now, as every time one landed a clean hit the other would land one just as devastating. Kakarot would leave Kami to it for now, he trusted his mentors abilities. "Where's Tien?" he asked.

Nam dispatched another soldier with a firm kick to the abdomen, and then he pointed toward the battle on the ground between Tien and Angila.

Tien swung a kick up, a glancing blow that clipped the alien in the breast and made him stagger back slightly. He ducked under a punch and then drove his elbow into Angila's chestplate with a resounding yell, knocking his foe back several metres.

Angila righted himself, huffing in pain, before giving a shocked gasp and leaping to the side to avoid a rapid energy wave that escaped Tien's palm. The triclops lept up, one finger pointed at the slightly injured alien. "DODONPA!" Tien yelled, a burst of golden ki flying from his fingertip and shooting down toward Angila.

With lightning fast reflexes the invader rolled to dodge again, grunting when he felt the explosion of the blast strike him in the side. Angila took aim as quick as he could and fired a pale blue energy of energy toward the triclops. A shocked gasp left Tien and he swiftly crossed his arms before him, the blast exploding against his forearms and sending him back a few metres in the air from the power of the energy wave.

Tien was disoriented, dizzy. The perfect chance for an attack in Angila's mind. He shot forth with such speed that he utterly vanished from sight, and he reappeared directly behind his foe and smashed both his fists into Tien's bare back. He was sent hurtling down to earth, crashed into the rock, and then flipped onto his feet.

His foe shot forth, again vanishing from sight, but those three eyes in Tien's skull caught onto his movement perfectly this time. He caught his foe's fist mid-swing, the shockwave to the collision sending ripples through the rock. Angila's eyes widened, just before Tien punched him in the stomach with such force that they bulged from his skull.

Tien's arms suddenly bulged slightly in size as he augmented his physical might. He flung his foe up into the sky, then he pressed two fingers to the sides of his third eye. A bolt of golden ki shot out of his third eye, moved up at a blinding speed, and then it speared Angila through the heart. The invader clutched the hole in his chest, retched from the pain, and then he fell back to earth. A few moments pf pained writhing followed, and then he died.

Tien breathed a low sigh of relief "I refuse to be beaten by the likes of you. I won't fall here like I did in the future."

Across the battlefield Slug and Kami were still duking it out, and it seemed Kami had managed to push the other Namekian straight onto the defensive. A firm blow to the face and Slug's face was jerked backward, spews of purple blood flying from his nose. He swung his fist out blindly, only for Kami to catch his arm, spin him around by it, and then throw him head first into a large boulder that he smashed clean through.

Slug had always relied on raw power, his natural strength, to impose his dominance over others. While he would never be Frieza or King Cold in terms of power, this was a policy that had served him well for many hundreds of years and kept all his men in line. However, he had never had to battle someone who was not only his equal in power, but someone who had also honed his combat skills to a much finer degree. Now, he was simply outmatched.

Slug spun up and fired another blast from his eyes, however this time all he struck was an afterimage. Kami lunged forward, invisible to the naked eye, and buried his fist so hard into his foe's face that his purple helmet cracked and shattered away. A ball of crackling white ki sphere formed in his palm and he slammed it into Slug's gut, the ensuing explosion ripping away at Slug's yellow coat and sending him crashing down onto his back.

"Give it up!" Kami yelled releasing a low exhale to steady himself. He watched Slug slowly climb to his feet, his body poised for battle "Your men are dead Slug, and the two Super Saiyans are here. You have no hope to win, so renounce your evil ways and leave this planet. This is your only and final warning."

A rasping chuckle escaped Slug's lips, the ground starting to rumble beneath him "I still have my ace in the hole...You haven't seen my full power just yet!" A hurricane wind exploded from Slug's body, the force sending Kami skidding backward slightly. The evil Namekian's power started to skyrocket and his whole body started to grow.

"That's some impressive energy..." Kakarot grunted out, straining to stay in the same spot when the mighty gales struck at him. "Kami get out of there! He's growing too strong!"

Slug's long shadow started to grow over Kami, but the former Guardian of earth stood stoic. Even if his foe was large enough to eclipse his giant spacecraft, he would not back down. "Stay out of this Kakarot. I need to prove that I'm still strong enough to protect the planet on my own, so just keep back."

The younger Saiyan was surprised to hear his adoptive parent speak in such a way. Had the story from the future shook him so deeply that he doubted his own self-worth? "But...Master-"

"But's are for pooping." Kami replied, cracking his neck "I'll be fine, I know what I'm doing. I taught you everything, didn't I?" He looked back to Slug, the cackling giant now glaring down at him. Kami couldn't risk growing giant too, it made him too big a target. And even if he magnified his size to a smaller degree, it wouldn't give him enough ki to match Slug.

Slug's fist shot down suddenly, moving with a speed one wouldn't associate with such a giant being. The rock shattered to bits on impact and Kami had to leap several dozen feet into the sky to avoid the giant fist. Slug's arm moved like a whip and the back of his hand struck Kami's whole body, launching him into a distant mesa that shattered on impact with his body.

There had to be some way to augment his strength. He knew of one example of a person augmenting their power by allocating their energy in the right way, but he couldn't think too hard on it right now with a giant intent on killing him.

A burning ball of orange ki formed in Slug's hand, raw crackling power. He took aim and flung the massive orb at his foe, the area glowing brighter and brighter the closer it got. Kami focused hard, formed a javelin of blue light in his hand, before throwing it at the incoming sphere. It arced around and then struck the blast in the right spot, destabilising it and forcing it to explode prematurely, forming a large plume of black smoke in the sky.

Kami shot through the smoke cloud, his white aur illuminating the blackness as he assed through it. Slug gave an echoing cackle, another beam of ki shooting from his eyes and pursuing Kami through the air despite his impressive aerial maneuvers to avoid it. Kakarot grunted, all but ready to transform when Kami called out "Leave this to me!"

Kami shot forth as fast as he could, driving both of his feet into Slug's temple with just enough force to make him stumble backward. "Agh! Piece of shit!" Slug grunted, rubbing at the small purple lump on his temple. Kami grunted in annoyance, realising just how futile his physical attacks would be if that was the best he could muster.

He needed to think but he knew Slug would hardly give him the time for that...So Kami would need to distract him.

The former Guardian suddenly pressed the fingertips of both of his hands into the sides of his head, a white glow flickering along his body. "SOLAR FLARE!" Kami roared out, releasing a blinding flash of white light. A monstrous howl of pain escaped Slug's enlarged mouth, and he quickly pressed his palms into his blinded eyes to cover them.

Kami shot back like a rocket, avoiding the blind swipes of the giant Namek, and then he landed atop one large spire of rock. He wouldn't have much time so he had to think quick if he was going to end this on his own.

He thought back on Namek, to the stories he had been told of the battle between Kakarot and Frieza. While Kami could hardly turn into a Super Saiyan, something about the story did fascinate him. Frieza had forced ki into his muscles to add to his power, or something to that effect. Perhaps he could try something like that? Worth a shot.

The ground rumbled beneath Kami's feet, his white aura erupted around his body. His body glowed white hot like a star and his aura suddenly shifted in it's dimensions. It grew taller, wider and it's edges became more jagged than before. Huffing breaths escaped him as he tried to steady himself. Rocks shattered on the ground beneath his feet and rose up into the air around him, only to explode into clouds of dust mere moments later.

Slug staggered and grunted, slowly pulling his hands away from his face. His vision was blurry, swimming about after the sensory bombardment of the Solar Flare. He turned slowly, earth quaking with every motion, and then his energy sensing caught onto Kami's quickly rising power level. "What...How is he getting so strong so quickly?!"

Kami hissed in pain and exertion, his exposed muscles starting to bulk up in random points. His power level had very nearly doubled from this alone and still it was rising. Veins surged up around his body, purple marks along green flesh. His muscles expanded further still, until finally they stopped. His body had bulked up in an incredible way and his power, while the effects of forcing ki into his muscles were not as amazing as what had happened for Frieza, were still rather impressive.

A little diverted Kaioken energy into his muscle tissue, some Namekian size manipulation, in addition to forcing his regular ki into his muscles, and the shift in power was very noticeable. His power had almost quintupled and his physical attributes had increased dramatically (With the exception of a dip in speed.) Kami knew he couldn't maintain this for long, not without training, so he'd have to end this battle quickly.

Just as Slug's vision fully returned to normal, Kami shot toward him. His fist drove into Slugs stomach, flesh rippled inward toward Kami's fist, and the immense physical force of the attack made Slug gag in pain. Kami drove up like a white comet, hammering in dozen of impossibly powerful punches and kicks that each left a dark purple bruise along Slug's chest.

An enraged roar erupted from Slug, the indignation of this little shit attacking him in such a way. His hands slammed together with a thunderous sonic boom, the force of it enough to knock Kami back, He steadied himself, grunting with the exertion it took to balance out his newly enhanced physique.

Slug took aim, opened his mouth wide. An orb of crackling red and golden light formed between his jaws, white lightning cascading over the spherical surface. Suddenly the blast escaped his jaws, a beam of searing heat that crashed into Kami's outstretched hands.

The force, the strain of keeping this blast in check was immense. Kami could feel the skin of his palms blacken and burn, blistering flesh slowly running up along his splayed fingers. Inch by inch he was pulled back through the air and Kami knew he'd have to time this perfectly if he was to put an end to this before his body quit on him. He firmly gripped the blast despite his burns and then he quickly swung his arms to redirect the beam.

It struck Slug in the gut, his eyes widened in unblinking shock at what had just happened. A large black scorch had stretched along about 75% of his enlarged chest, smoke rising from the sizzling flesh. Had...did he just get blasted with his own attack?

Before he could swing another thought together Kami drove toward the giant. Both of his burnt fists collided with his giant jaw with all the force they could muster, the power of the impact enough to send Lord Slug hurtling up flailing into the sky.

Kami took a deep breath and then forced his hands out. His aura collapsed down into his body until his whole body was glowing white, small red sparks leaping off his body. Then Kami let out a yell and released a massive bolt of ki from his outstretched palms, the beam striking the giant in the back and sending him hurtling miles and miles into the sky.

Kami gave another yell, even louder this time, and send a golden spiral of lightning snaking along the white ki cannon until it caught up with Slug. It struck him, drilled through his chest, and then the entire beam forced its way through his gut and atomised everything it came into contact with. When the beam died out so too did Slug, and his body slowly drifted up into Earth's atmosphere. It would burn up on the way back down, no doubt.

Kami collapsed onto his hands and knees, his body having reverted to its normal proportions. His breathing was a series of ragged gasps, sweat was pouring off his green flesh, and every muscle seemed to twitch slightly.

Kakarot suddenly materialised in front of his mentor "K-Kami...Are you okay?" he asked, pulling the lanky Namekian up onto his shoulder for support.

Kami's head turned slowly and a smile formed on his face "I feel...better than okay..." his grin grew, almost childlike with glee "If I can master that...I might just be able to match you Super Saiyans."

* * *

A/N: See? I had a plan for Kami all along. Next chapter the Android threat grows closer and closer, but other evils lurk among the stars. And what have Team Blue Hurricane and Team Red Magma uncovered that will shock the Saiyans of the group?

**-Ssjinferno: Just a question for you, What happened to Upa and Bora in both timelines?**

Bora surrendered the Dragon Ball to Captain Yellow to save his sons life. As a result Tao was never sent after them and the two still live comfortably beneath Korrin's tower.

**-Guest: Did the twins return to the future? Or did they stay behind in this time?**

At present they're in the future, but they'll be back by next chapter.

**-Super Vegetarott: Just HAD to point this out, with 30 chapters, you PERFECTLY hit 100K. XD**

Mwahaha, yeeeesss...Almost as if I planned it perfectly...


	32. Cold War

In little over a years time, an army of machines led by a vengeful despot would rise up on earth, a threat that would wipe out all of earth's defenders. That was the prophecy Tanip and Gohan had brought back with them, and since then Earth's warriors had trained tirelessly to prepare for a seemingly undefeatable foe.

Kakarot had made sure to transfer the Dragon Balls to Dende by now. His death in the other timeline wasn't brought by the Androids. Rather his demise was because his own mighty body would betray him, strike him down with a heart disease. While an antidote had been brought back by his children, he had to wonder if it would succeed in the end.

As the final year they had to prepare began to dawn, Kakarot's offspring finally returned from the future. They had met up with Kakarot and Raditz at the galactic parliament building. The four Saiyans walked along the glass corridors that stretched along the length of the moon, and Kakarot let his gaze linger on the distant stars and nebulae lingering above them.

"It's so...vast, isn't it?" Kakarot asked. His eyes narrowed and his expression became unreadable "It gives a person a real sense of scale. How we're little more than specks of dust on a blanket of stars."

Gohan looked to his father curiously. In truth he never knew the man of his own timeline, but he never imagined him to...philosophical in any sense. Then again his mother did say he read quite a bit when he got involved in galactic politics "Yes...It might be a wide galaxy, but that doesn't make our incoming threats any smaller."

Kakarot nodded "Too true." he suddenly raised one hand up,, and then pointed at a cluster of distant white light in the blackness of space "Look at that star there. It might not even exist any more, imagine that...I could fly my whole life, and I may never reach the star that shone that light. Hard to believe, as it's likely in the very galaxy I have to protect."

An annoyed snort escaped from Tanip, who lazily rocked on her heels "Not that the lesson on stars and junk isn't spectacular dad, but that's not exactly why we're here. What's this information that we're here to find out?" she asked.

"Jeice and his team said they found something interesting while scanning some desert planet. Wants us to take a look." Raditz explained, nodding to his niece. With that the foursome set off again, heading to the newly constructed medical bay on Telbe, a pyramid structure with a red cross engraved into the front "By the way, a few months back Earth got attacked by an evil Namekian. How come you guys didn't warn us about that?"

"Oh, you mean Slug?" Tanip asked. She shrugged "You didn't talk a whole lot about him in our time. We figured he wasn't that much of a threat."

"Well...he wasn't. Still it would have been nice to know in advance." Kakarot replied. As he walked along he suddenly sucked air in through his teeth and doubled over, one hand clenching his chest at his heart. The other three exchanged awkward glances, but as his brother made a move to help him to his feet Kakarot waved him off. "I'm fine, fine...just a minor ache. The stress of this job certainly can't be good for this heart condition I have...Come on, let's keep moving."

They pressed on through the long glass hallway, though there was still certainly some tension. "I see you've both improved your strength since we were last here. That's good, but you need to keep on improving." Gohan remarked, wanting to change the subject quickly.

"Yeah, training's been going well enough. Kami and the humans have been making great strides though." Raditz replied "We had to spend alot of time honing Instant Transmission, a useful technique but it provide little in the way of physical improvement. Now we're getting back to the physical stuff again, pushing the gravity chamber to new limits."

"Badass." Tanip replied. A cheeky grin spread on her pretty face, rather reminiscent of her fathers smiles.

The metal doors of the medical building slid open for them on their approach, and the two were quickly approached by a stumpy and fat Brench doctor. His skin was a jaundiced yellow colour, his hair an unkempt mane of curly red locks "Ah Lord Kakarot and his noble brother...and two youths who I've never seen before.

"We're his children." Gohan replied quickly, before his sister could fling an insult. The doctor looked quite dumbfounded at that.

Kakarot coughed into his fist "Yes. This is my son Gohan and my daughter Tanip. Half-Saiyan, half-Human. I wanted to spend some time with them you see." he explained.

The brench doctor nodded at that "Ah I see, it's just that I never knew you had any offspring."

_'Probably because I didn't want my family to be targets.'_ Kakarot thought to himself. "I guess there was just never a good reason to mention them before now."

Raditz cleared his throat loud enough to draw the attention of those around him "Yeah yeah, you met my brothers kids, so nice. Now would you mind showing us what Jeice and Burter retrieved? I'm curious."

The doctor nodded, gave a curt bow to the Super Saiyan family, and led the way through the medical building. The leaders of Kakarot's two squads were waiting outside the door to one room, and both looked up when their lord approached "Ah, Lord Kakarot it's so good to see you again. You won't believe what we found." Burter began.

Jeice spoke up next "It was while we were patrollin' a more uncharted part of the galaxy and we found some wild energy signatures. We set down to investigate in our ships, and...well that's when we met her."

"Her?" Gohan replied curiously. This seemed to be another thing the future counterpart of his uncle hadn't spoken of in great detail.

It was then that Burter opened the doors to the hospital room, and with that the tall snake-man ducked into the room with Jeice following behind. Kakarot and his entourage followed soon enough, and were certainly shocked by what they saw in the large medicine machine inside the room.

A rather tall and fairly muscular dark-skinned woman. The long furry monkey tail floating behind her made her Saiyan heritage quite clear, and the vast multitude of scars that dotted her strong body only added to the image of her as a powerful warrior. Her eyes opened at the sight of the group entering

"Whoa..." Raditz murmured, shocked at the sight. Another survivor, where was this one hiding out.

"Her name's Inyon. At least, that's what she told us when we found her." Jeice said.

"And...where would that be exacty?" Kakarot asked. He, like his older brother, was wrapped up in the mystery of how another Saiyan had lived after the destruction of their homeworld.

Burter cleared his throat "Like we said before, we were investigating energy signatures on a desert planet, and when we landed she was just sort of...there. She wasn't hostile or nothing. She's definitely nuts though." he explained.

Tanip tilted her head to the side, watching the female Saiyan wave to the group excitedly while inside the confines of the medicine machine "So...why is she in there? Did a fight break out between you guys and her?"

"Nah nah, nothin' like that, it's...it's a weird story." Jeice sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "She came up to our guys, rambled on about some loony story of hers and how she was exiled there, and then she asked nicely if she could tag along with us off the planet. We figured you'd want to meet any Saiyan we could find."

"And the healing tank?" Gohan asked, placing his hands on his hips.

Burter's blue scales briefly flashed red from embarrassment "Well...she uh, decided she wanted to wait in the healing tank for you guys. She said she likes the bubbles..."

"That...that would explain the nudity..." Kakarot murmured, placng a hand over his eyes. "Would you kindly drain the tank and fetch this womans armour...?"

They were quick to comply, Burter drained the tank out while Jeice fetched Inyon's armour. It was an odd suit, patchwork of old Saiyan combat armour and vile looking animal bones used to fix up cracks in the plates. One shoulderpad was little more than the top portion of a fanged reptilian skull.

Inyon bowed to the group once she was fully dressed "Sup guys? With crazy hairstyles like those, you gotta be Saiyans, right?" she asked. Raditz grunted, and then nodded. "Awesome! So where's King Vegeta at? I wanna punch him in the face so hard it comes out his ass."

Kakarot scratched the back of his neck in an awkward fashion "Um...Well King Vegeta's been dead for a long time now. Our whole planet is gone I'm afraid, we're probably the only survivors around." he explained.

"Bummer." Inyon replied with a lazy shrug "I was never really into our species. Most of em were jerk bags. So like, what killed King Beardo? Did he die after sniffing too many of his own farts?"

"Uh...no. Nothing like that. A planet kind of exploded on him...well that or Frieza probably killed him." Raditz replied. He shrugged then. Vegeta never realy spoke a whole lot about it, certainly not to Raditz at least. Not that he cared, the little twerp was long gone anyway.

Inyon gave a groan "Well that's a shame. Would've been funny if he died like that...Or if he was still alive, I'd like to freak him out by doing this: RRAGH!" a flashof golden light exploded off her body, the walls and floors cracking from the power of the dark-skinned Saiyaness' ki. Those around Inyon were forced back, almost blown away by the shockwave of power that erupted from Inyon once she transformed into a full-blown Super Saiyan.

Kakarot's eyes widened in shock, and he slowly dropped into a fighting stance. She was pretty strong, and unstable...Even stronger than Frieza was at 100%. "How the...How are you a Super Saiyan? What were you doing on that planet?" he asked.

"Hehe...Funny story!" Inyon replied, flashing the four Saiyans a thumbs up. She powered down into her base form and then spoke again "See, I was on one of the Kings task forces, purging planets and shit. One time I kinda sorta accidentally killed two guys while we were working one planet, and I got exiled. Sucked cause it was a desert planet filled with super powerful monsters. I struggled, and I grew stronger, and I got a little nuts, and it was my insanity and rage that made me SNAP! Helped me tap into the old, blonde look."

Gohan eyed this woman curiously. Another Super Saiyan, his uncle hadn't spoken much of this one either...maybe she stuck to outer space? Got a job working with Jeice and Burter?

It was at that moment that a footsoldier rushed into the room, dressed from head to heel in a suit of silver comat armour. "Your lordship, thank the stars I found you at last!" he said, huffing for breath as he tried to steady himself.

"Easy soldier." Kakarot replied, tearing his focus from the insane Super Saiyan for a moment "What's the problem...?" he asked.

"It's, it's Arcos sir. It's come under attack from some...god you're not gonn believe me, but some mechanical starfish. The domed cities are putting up a hell of a defence, but that thing seems to have an infinite number of soldiers to throw at the Arcosian army." he explained, trembling slightly "I-I mean, that's what the reports have stated."

Kakarot and Raditz exchanged uncertain glances, and then looked to the two teens from the future. Tanip shrugged "First we're hearing about this. Our uncle didn't talk about anything in great detail except for the Android massacre."

Kakarot shrugged "Well kids, I was hoping today would be quiet...But I suppose that this warrants investigation. Soldier I want you to send for a science officer, get him to provide exact coordinates of Arcos. The get in touch with Captain Novus of the Rao mercenary corps, ask him to send a frigate to Arcos to provide spatial support." The soldier bowed in response, and then rushed off again.

"You can't be serious...we're helping the Arcosians? You do realise that Frieza and his family are Arcosians, right?" Raditz asked.

The younger Saiyan shot his brother a quick glare "And? I promised that I would defend all life in the galaxy, regardless of race. Not all Arcosians are going to be as bad as Frieza...Besides, there's a possibility of this threat sreading to other worlds, and I plan on preventing that."

Raditz sighed and shook his head "That Namekian made you far too benevolent. C'mon then, let's get going." he replied, starting to follow after Kakarot and the others.

"Oh oh, can I come can I come can I come?" Inyon asked giddily, batting her eyelashes at the two Saiyan brothers. Kakarot shrugged in response.

"Well...We could do with more people on our squads. And if you're a Super Saiyan, we could really use your help..." Burter remarked, watching the towering Saiyaness.

"Woot! Gonna be on a squad and do space shit again!" Inyon said giddily.

* * *

Lieutenant Boreal looked over the ragtag bunch of soldiers he had left under his command. A trio of warriors in their second forms, one fellow in his monstrous third form, two badly beaten cadets who were in such bad condition that they couldn't transform out of their fully sealed forms.

Boreal himself was one of the few Arcosians who had masterd fighting in his unsealed form. He was eight feel of solid muscle with smooth teal skin and rows of spiked scarlet bio gems that dotted up his arms and his forehead. His gold and ivory combat armour, once so fine and regal, was cracked and charred at various points from the desructive conflict with the invading mechanical force.

"Well boys and girls, I don't see things gettin' much worse than this." Boreal remarked, hocking a glob of blood and saliva onto the cracked concrete at his feet. This building was a bombed out husk, looked set to blow over from a strong gust. Somehow those machines were able to bypass the forcefields that kept the domed city of Arcos safe from the raging weather though why they would want to go through the trouble was a mystery to Boreal.

"We managed to hold the things off long enough for the civilians to get to safety, but there's no way we can keep this up." Boreal explained, looking over his group again "I propose we try and get out of the city, it's a long shot but if we can destroy that giant starfish thing then we can stop the robots it's sending our way."

"Someone will need to draw the attention of those cyclops robots." one cadet suggested.

"Sounds like suicide to me. Who the hell can even fly fast enough to draw them away?" the other cadet asked.

The soldier in his third form raised a clawed violet hand and managed to hiss out "I'll do it Lieutenant. I'm the second fastest next to you."

Boreal frowned and then placed his hands on his hips "They'll overwhelm you eventually Ayz. It's highly likely you'll die out there."

The soldier known as Ayz bowed his sausage-head "If I die, then I will die in the name of my homeworld." he replied sternly. The two soldiers watched each other closely, both knowing that this was likely the last time they would ever see each other. They nodded to each other out of mutual respect, and then Ayz' icy blue aura exploded out as he powered up to 100% of his third forms strength.

Ayz took off into the air, straight out of the crumbling building as fast as he could. A flurry of finger bullets burst from the Arcosians fingertips, striking several of the cyclopic robots as they prowled the streets and wiping out each one he managed to hit. The remaining horde of machines looked to the skies and then they took off after the Arcosian, like a cloud of metal chasing him through the air.

"GO!" Boreal roared, starting to fly off in the opposite direction Ayz was leading the robots. His remaining troopers wasted no time in following him through the sky. The group only travelled a few metres through the air when a sudden rumbling explosion caught their gaze.

Boreal turned in the air to see where Ayz had been mere moments ago, hiis body engulfed and destroyed inside the heart of a blazing fireball. "W-What..." Boreal stammered out in shock.

The two cadets went down next, struck down by a grey blur so fast that it took Boreal a few moments to register that it had even happened. The figure stopped in the air, only a few inches away from the trio of cowering level 2 Arcosians.

One found the courage to strike, shoving his hand out and firing off a beam of searing heat. ut his target vanished into thin air, instantly reappeared behind his foe, and then smashed the back of his skull in with one swift blow. It took Boreal a moment to notice, but this creature was also a robot, with gleaming metal skin. So much more advanced than the cyclops, like a mechanical facsimile of an Arcosian.

Another of his soldiers raised his arm to strike. But his foe's tail lashed out like an angry viper, striking the second Arocian in the throat with such force that the tip of his tail exploded out of the backside of his neck followed by a spray of gore.

The last soldier shrieked in fear and fired off a bolt of red ki at the strange machine, but the creature effortlessly swerved his boy to avoid the strike. He raised a metal finger up and then fired off a beam of purple ki that struck the Arcosian in the heart, exploding it on impact. All his men dead in the span of a minute.

Boreal's wits seemed to return, and he gave a loud roar before flinging himself at the artificial Arcosian. He swung out punches and kicks as fast as he could, but this thing he was fighting was so absurdly fast that the Lieutenant was more or less moving in slow motion to him. Not a single strike even got close to hitting.

The mechanical palm struck his jaw so hard that Boreal felt several teeth shatter from the power behind it. His foe's foot swung down, hitting his foe through several crumbling buildings as he moved down through the sky.

He appeared suddenly above Boreal, and then the machine's elbow struck the Lieutenant in the face and sent him crashing downward, straight toward the street. Then, before Boreal could hit the shattered asphalt, the machine intercepted him again and drove his palm into the Arcosians stomach, holding him aloft.

Boreal gagged and retched in pain, unable to move due to the pain. "Who...who are you...?"

The machine slowly raised his head up,revealing his handsome artificial visage. He smirked and then calmly said "I'm Cooler, the rightful lord of this planet."

* * *

A/N: Sooo...this chapter took longer than expected. But hey give me a break, I had to balance writing this with studying for summer exams. Things will hopefully be coming out at a smoother pace from here on out.

Oh yes and some of you may recognise Inyon here from my other story, 'The Fall of Lord Frieza.' I just love that loony Saiyan, I couldn't keep her outta' this. However while she may appear here, she won't be a main character like she is in the other story.

**-jack: Do you plan on having Tarble make an appearance? It would be interesting to see his reaction over Vegeta's death.**

Eh. He MIGHT appear, but I'm not exactly a fan of the character.

**Spawnx66: Hey, I'd like to point something out from Chapter 5. you sort of hinted at the possibility of kakarot and radius's mother surviving the destruction of Planet Vegeta. does that mean she may make an appearance? Just curious**

Nah. It was an old concept, but I decided not to follow up on it. The idea really wouldn't have led anywhere.

**-Humancygrax: Good update Interesting technique Kami developed was that the special beam cannon he killed Slug with**

Yup, that's the effect I was going for.


	33. Heart of Ice

It had taken a few minutes for Kakarot to find a ki signature in the Arcosian solar system, or rather a small grouping of them on one of the domed cities. He had set off there via Instant Transmission once his group had all grabbed hold of him, and he reasoned that they just needed to buy a little time for the frigate to get to the Arcosian homeworld.

They reappeared in what looked to be a small basement, a lone bulb providing any illumination to the room. Kakarot's eyes scanned about and came to rest on a trio of cowering Arcosian, looking at them with wide fearful eyes.

"Awww cool. They look like a bunch of lil' Frieza's. Er, little-er, I guess." Inyon said, cocking her head at the trio. An old man, a middle-agd female, and a small child of ambiguous gender clinging to the woman.

"Please, calm down. We mean you no harm." Kakarot said, crouching down in front of the cowering trio "Could any of you tell me just what happened here?"

It was the old man who spoke up, his voice wavering either from age or from exhaustion "It...they came like a swarm of ravenous bugs, attacking everything in sight. An army of robotic cyclopes, each one as strong as our foot soldiers. They captured who they could, draggin' them off to the big ship thing. The army's been doing its best to slow them down, but they're probably all dead by now. And now the survivors are in the cellars, jus' holding out while we can."

"This never would have happened if Lord Frieza or King Cold were here! You've doomed us all you stupid Saiyan monkey!" the female Arcosian spat, obviously recognizing Kakarot now.

The spiky haired Saiyan narrowed his eyes at that, but he didn't react further than that. He could understand anyone being emotional at a time like this...Still, he doubted even King Cold could have prevented an invasion like this all on his own.

"Well we're gonna wind up fighting robots in the future too, so this'll be good practice for it." Raditz said, lazily cracking his knuckles. "Let's head topside and see what's up."

Kakarot nodded and quickly dusted his trousers off "Jeice, Burter. I want you two to try and protect the civilians." he ordered. The Guardian of Earth advanced before the other Saiyans in the basement "We'll get to the source of this and liberate your planet. I promise." That was likely small comfort to the three Arcosians, but he had to try.

Once topside, it became clear just how much destruction had been wrought upon this world. Shattered, crumbling buildings. Deep craters and piles of ash and rubble marking the streets and roads. There were scattered components of machinery strewn about, everywhere one could see they would be able to find ruined robots.

Not too many Arcosian corpses in the destroyed city, oddly enough. These machines must have been making a great effort to take as many captives as possible. The question was, why?

"Whoa...Would ya look at that..." Tanip murmured out, clearly in shock. The group turned to where she was looking, and sure enough what she saw was quite a jaw-dropping thing to behold.

On the horizon, visible through the energy dome that protected the city from the elements, was the large mechanical starfish that Kakarot's scout had spoken of. It was mountainous in height, circuitry visible along all sides of its rounded surface. A trio of eyes were just faintly visible from where the Saiyans stood. Long tentacles sprouted around the main component of the odd machine, coiling around anything they could find on the planets surface.

"Inyon, Raditz...You guys have explored alot in outer space, right...?" Gohan asked, incapable of looking away from the giant mechanical lamprey sucking on Arcos. The older Saiyans nodded. "And...have you ever seen ANYTHING like that before?" the normally stoic half-Saiyan asked. This was perhaps the only time he had been utterly dumbfounded.

Raditz ran a hand through his long mane of black hair "Yeah, trust me kid, this is a first for me too." He had seen robots before, sure, even entire plans governed by sentient machines. This thing here though, it was like something out of a myth.

Inyon scratched at her dark jawline in deep thought "I ah...Well..." she trailed off. "I knew a guy who had something like that on his junk, and he had to get this special shampoo an-"

"Okay okay, we don't need to know more than that!" Tanip cut in. She shuddered in disgust for a moment, and then she returned her focus to the giant machine clinging to the ice planets surface.

There was a sudden shift in the wind that caught the attention of the group, and a synthesised voice soon beckoned to them "It's magnificent, isn't it? It's known as the Big Gete Star."

The five Saiyans turned, Kakarot's eyes widening at the gleaming silver figure standing tall on a mound of rubble behind the group. A large group of cyclopic robots stood behind this figure, staring off into space, but they seemed inconsequential compared to the steel ghost that stood before the Super Saiyans.

The name tumbled from Kakarot's mouth, even though he found it so hard to believe he was saying it aloud "C-Cooler...?"

The metal facsimile of an Arcosian curled his tail around his legs, a cocky grin plastered on his face "In the flesh...So to speak, at least. It's funny, you five are the first monkey's to ever come to Arcos. You must feel so proud..." he purred, his voice as soft as a lovers.

Inyon rolled her eyes "Honestly, it's not that impressive...You could at least sweep up a bit. Place is totally filthy."

Raditz ignored Inyon and kept his gaze focused on Cooler "Okay, so...You and the big metal starfish out there are connected somehow...So how did you come back to life?"

"An interesting little tale. After that traitor Ginyu launched me and my attack into space, the combined explosion of my Supernova and his energy wave destroyed a large chunk of my body, until only my head and a chunk of my torso remained. But, for an Arcosian that's just enough to survive on..." Cooler began.

"The blast did also send my remains hurtling into outer space at quite a speed. And that was what led to me colliding with the large blob of nanomachines known as the Big Gete Star. I was assimilated into the computer core, my brain able to direct the machinery. It allowed me to make this new body, one far stronger than the last one. And now here I am on Arcos, ready to use my race as the power source to fuel my expansion across the galaxy."

A hush fell over the group, all clearly unnerved by what Cooler had planned. Raditz strode forth, and the punched a fist into his open palm "I can't even begin to tell you how much none of that is going to happen." he spat. The tips of his hair rose up and turned rigid, the black mane turning gold in an explosion of bright light.

Cooler's stance remained confident, unshifting. "Is that so? Well come on then monkey, show me what you can do." said Cooler.

Raditz took the invitation with gusto. He moved toward Cooler like a golden comet, throwing one fist out aiming for Cooler's head. The mechanical Arcosian swung his arm up so fast that Raditz only saw the faintest flicker of motion, and Raditz found his knuckles straining against the dense metal of the back of Cooler's hand.

Meta-Cooler spun and struck the shocked Super Saiyan with his long tail, the blow catching Raditz in the abdomen and sending him hurtling through two ruined towers. He tossed a glance to his cylcopic robots and then he quite casually said "Kill the other monkeys." before dashing after Raditz.

The long-haired Saiyan flexed his aura up, blowing away the large mound of rubble that he had been smashed into. He stood up, saw Cooler advancing toward him like a bat out of hell, and he quickly swerved his whole body to dodge one incoming kick. His hands caught Cooler's leg by the calf, applying just enough force to form dents in the metal from his finger, and then he smashed the mechanical Arcosian into the concrete with enough force to form a small web of fissures and cracks in the surface.

His foe wriggled and twisted in his grasp until finally he broke free of Raditz' hold. Cooler shoved one palm forward and released a burst of telekinetic force, the strike hitting Raditz in the face and sending him stumbling backward slightly. His eyes flashed white hot, and then two searing bolts of ki flew from Cooler's eyes and exploded against the Saiyan's chest with enough force to send him hurtling backward, shards of black armour being flung off his body.

While still stunned, Cooler pressed his advantage. He shot forth yet again and then his elbow struck clean across Raditz' face, sending him tumbling through the air until he smashed into one large column of stone.

Raditz righted himself though he was still grimacing in pain. He felt the wind shifting, he knew Cooler was heading his way again, so he quickly through a punch out that collided against the android's iron-clad knuckles. Their fists struck off each other once, twice, and then thrice, but they seemed to be deadlocked and incapable of besting each other in this department.

Cooler, being the sneaky artificially-enhanced devil that he was, quickly formed his own method of breaking this tie. The tip of his tail shot out like a spear, aiming to lodge itself firmly in the golden Saiyan's small intestine.

This time however, Raditz caught the motions of Meta-Cooler as he moved his tail into the proper position. He swerved just in time, which led to Cooler being briefly incapacitated as his tail was embedded in the thick stone behind where Raditz had been standing. Thinking quickly, Raditz formed a bubble of golden light in his fist and then punched Cooler in the face, a resounding explosion hitting the machine's face and sending him flying backward from the power of the hit.

He spared a glance toward Kakarot and his children, just to see if they were okay. The other Super Saiyans were doing quite well at keeping the monocular robots at bay, but their numbers were vast and seemingly endless. Could even the power of a Super Saiyan hold out against such a large enemy force?

Raditz turned back to focus on Cooler, noticing that the metal Arcosian's body had formed a large trench when it carved into the ground. He saw Cooler sit up, and the Saiyan's expression turned to one of disgust when he realized his explosive punch had blown Cooler's face clean off, revealing the metal skull and mass of wires and circuitry beneath it.

And then, his expression turned to one of alarm with what happened next.

The wound on Meta-Cooler's head began to warp and change, and then his face just seemed to...regrow. It was odd, watching his face reconstruct itself from nothing at all, but soon enough Cooler looked good as new again. "Regeneration..." Raditz whispered, along with a few curses going under his breath. Such a cheap tactic.

Cooler vanished from view instantaneously, and then he reappeared behind Raditz a nanosecond later. The Saiyan began to turn, before Cooler's ironclad knee abruptly caught him in the temple and send him shooting into the sky, clean through one shell of a skyscraper.

Another nanosecond, and Cooler suddenly appeared directly behind Raditz and drove his fist into his foe's spine with such force that Raditz' felt his eyes bulge from his head. "That...technique..." he breathed out, another sputter of gagging noises passing his bloodied lips.

"You like it? The computers on the Big Gete Star have quite a vast database of techniques, and I'm quite fond of this one. Instant Transmission." Meta-Cooler explained, smiling sweetly despite the conflict going on.

The Saiyan turned, yelling in rage, and drove his fist into Cooler's large forehead. The explosive force of the punch only managed to jerk Cooler's head back a few inches. Utterly unscathed by the attack. Raditz' eyes widened in shock, his fist trembling slightly "But...the last time I hit you like that, it blew your face clean off! What gives?!"

One metal foot shot out like a rocket, catching Raditz in the stomach with a crushing force. His mouth open with a spew of blood, and a little bit of vomit, spraying out into the air. His hair flickered from gold to black and back again, and Raditz recoiled slightly away from the metal monster. "Do you like that?" Cooler asked sweetly "It's another feature of this new body of mine. Whenever I am damaged, in addition to repairing it the Big Gete Star's computers will analyse the damage and alter my body to become resistant to whatever caused it. The same trick won't work on me twice!"

Cooler backhanded him, the cold metal making his cheek burn red hot with the speed of the slap. The strength of it sent hurtling backward, and Raditz' back smashed into the ivory surface of one building, his body becoming embedded in the stone.

The artificial Arcosian wasn't letting up for one single second. Through instant transmission he appeared directly in front of Raditz again and smashed his mechanical foot into the long-haired Saiyan's face, forcing him deeper into the stone while the trio of mechanical digits on his foot clamped over his mouth and nose.

"I get stronger with every passing minute, while that fleshy body of yours just gets weaker and weaker!" Cooler bellowed. The vice like grip crushing down on Raditz mouth and blocking his nostrils cut off all of his air, his face gradually turning purple. He tried to pry the metallic limb away from his face, but his strength was fading with every passing second, he couldn't brea this hold through sheer physical force. He only had one chance to break free.

Raditz cocked one arm back, a crackling ball of purple ki forming in his palm. The energy wave flew from his hand at a shocking speed, and it struck Cooler's thorax with enough power to knock him a few inches back, finally releasing his hold on the Super Saiyan's mouth.

He took a deep breath while he could, clamped both of his fists together, and then Raditz lurched forward and struck Cooler in the chin with a mighty upward swing that sent Cooler hurtling straight up into into the air. Almost a mile up! Raditz grunted and let his golden aura explode outward, building as much strength as he could and then he took off after the Arcosian so fast that he appeared to be a golden comet in the sky.

Cooler managed to just stop his ascent, grunting in annoyance. Perhaps he had underestimated the Saiyan monkey, his energy had still proved enough to damage his mechanical form. A large scorch had formed on Cooler's chest from the energy wave, and his chin had crumpled in slightly from the double-fisted attack. Ah well, nothing to worry about, he was still vastly superior to one golden monkey.

The mechanical Arcosian twisted his body around when Raditz reached him, and soon he was forced onto the defensive by a flurry of blows from the Super Saiyan. Cooler was grunting, rapidly moving his arms and only narrowly deflecting away the storms of blows heading his way. He dashed back, barely dodging a sweeping kick from the Saiyan.

The villain smirked and raised one hand up, his fingers twisting and sharpening into four thin claws gleaming with pale blue light. Cooler gave a mad cackle and surged forward swinging his new claws down. Raditz twisted away to dodge, but he didn't move fast enough and still wound up with thefour claws raking across the flesh of his torso.

The Super Saiyan gave an pained howl, feeling white hot spears of pain bombard his senses. He staggered back through the air, clutching the bleeding cuts on his chest and huffing for air. "Oh you fucking lizard bastard..."

"D'awwww, is the widdle monkey gonna' cwy?" Cooler mocked, his sculpted lips curving into a cocky smile. "You might as well give up now."

"You clearly don't know us Saiyans very well." Raditz replied grimly, dropping into his fighting stance. His exposed chest was practically painted red by the oozing blood from his four new scars, but he hardly seemed to mind.

Cooler raised his other hand, the tips of his fingers forming into another set of talons. "Well, no matter. My cyclopes are doing well at suppressing your allies through sheer manpower alone. I'll get to them soon enough, but for the time being I suppose it's time I stop toying around with you."

Raditz grit his teeth and then beckoned Cooler over "Come at me then, I'll smash that ego of yours to rubble..."

* * *

A/N: Next time, the Meta-Cooler saga continues. I haven't really decided how long it will be, maybe another two chapters. After that, well we'll see.

**-SpawnX66: but what happened to Ais, Polarri, Slak, and Dr. Midgyo?**

Ais and Polarri are huddled in with other survivors on Arcos. Midgyo is now a medical worker for the galactic parliament. As for Slak, he's on the same planet he appeared on when Broly attacked it. Not sure if I'll bring him in though, I do have to plan out for Broly if I'm gonna use him.

**-Miranda: Hey, I was wondering if u could maybe give us all a full summary of what happened in the time between bulma's first meeting with grandpa gohan and kakarot's fight witg king piccolo. I know that it was gohan who accompanied bulma in her journey and not goku, but I'd just like to know more of the details**

Well Gohan and Bulma encounter Oolong like normal, then when they meet Yamcha and Puar, Yamcha goes on to become Gohan's apprentice which leads to him being slightly stronger than in canon. The incident with the Ox King and Roshi is more or less the exact same. When Pilaf captures the group, a combined Max Power Kamehameha wave from both Yamcha and Gohan is just strong enough to break them out. They force Pilaf to flee. At the end of their adventure, Gohan returns to Mount Paozu and is still alive by the point in history. The RRA gathers the Dragon Balls, Commander red gets his wish to be taller. When King Piccolo is freed, Tambourine attacks the World Tournament. A combined effort from Krillin, Master Roshi and Tien puts him down. Everything after that is already known.

**- GO-Vegeta: so is 18 going to be in this story or are you going to use this new sayian to fill the void**

18 IS in this fic. As Gero's lab assistant. She won't do much in the way of combat though.

**-Sardine Tyrant Valzy: So...Meta-Cooler. Don't see how he'll much of a challenge with 5 Super Saiyans against him, though.**

Eh, when he multiplies he's quite a threat. He's still just practice for the Red Ribbon androids.


	34. Hail Storm

Despite the impossible and unnatural degree of coldness in the air of this planet, Raditz' blood was pumping through his veins like magma. Anger and adrenaline were doing a good enough job of keeping him warm. His golden aura flickered and rippled around him, the light flickering against the section of the shield dome above both of them.

Cooler was as unmoving as a statue, glaring at the surprisingly strong Super Saiyan. His claws continued to gleam with a pale light, and Raditz knew full well that one good strike from those talons would be enough to put an end to him.

Below them, a battle raged between the other Super Saiyans and the army of machines produced by the Big Gete Star. While Kakarot and the others dwarfed the cyclopes in power, the robot horde seemed near infinite in number, and even a Super Saiyan had limits.

The mechanical Arcosian suddenly vanished from view, and Raditz spun around as soon he felt the shift in the air behind him. Cooler jabbed his claw out as soon as Raditz was turning, gut the Super Saiyan jerked his body to one side as he went. His claws missed their mark, but the blade on Cooler's index finger managed to open up a fresh cut along the length of Raditz' left cheekbone.

Raditz had no time to gripe over the pain on his cheek or the hot blood oozing down his face, because Cooler was unwilling to cease his assault. He kept his clawed hands striking and slashing toward the Super Saiyan, and Raditz was just barely fast enough to dodge the series of slashes and stabs from his inhuman foe.

Cooler's artificial body was constantly changing and adapting. The computers of the Big Gete Star were now working to amplify the physical capabilities of Cooler's form so that he would be fast enough to tag Raditz. In addition his optics were analyzing the motions of his foe, recording the moves of his Saiyan martial arts so he would be able to form the perfect counters to any of his attacks.

The Super Saiyan jerked his head away, the blades of his fingers mere inches away from tearing open his other cheek. He gripped the metal wrist, and then he drove both of his feet into Cooler's ribs with enough power to dent and crack the alien metal, making Cooler grunt in discomfort.

The other metal hand shot forth like a spear, but then Raditz suddenly caught that wrist too, struggling to hold them both away from him. Raditz clenched his teeth, blood pumping off his wounds, his muscles straining to the very limit to hold his foe in place.

He suddenly yanked Cooler forward and crushed his brow against the metal Arcosian's nose. Cooler gagged from the impact, but before he could make a move to pull back, Raditz yanked him in again and headbutted him a second time. Then a third time. And finally a fourth one.

The repeated blows took all the physical force Raditz could muster, and they had managed to dent and crush Cooler's face in slightly. Not that Raditz was devoid of injury, his own forehead was a purple bruised mess from striking the super-dense metal. He was running low on power, he had to put an end to this now. He tightened his grip on Cooler's wrists, before swinging him and throwing him clean across the sky.

While Coolers airborne body flailed about through the air, Raditz raised an arm and took aim at his metal body. A crackling black and white energy ball formed in Raditz' hand, containing a good deal of his remaining ki. **"This is it...Begone!"**

The wave of shifting black and white energy exploded from Raditz palm, rapidly closing the distance between itself and Cooler. The blast was only a few metres away when Cooler managed to right himself, and with very little time to act he promptly raised his metallic hands up to catch the beam.

It struck his palms with a shocking degree of power, making Cooler grunt with the effort of halting the beams advance. His whole metallic body began to glow with the reflecting light, a star bursting to life directly above the ruined city. The power of the energy wave forced Coolers superhumanly strong arms back, overpowering even his incredible strength. The heat was growing so intense that it was even starting to melt at his metal shell.

Finally, the blast erupted into a radiant explosion that consumed Meta-Cooler with its violent light. The aftershocks of the attack were so strong that they could be felt on street level, not that it hindered the other Super Saiyans in their battle against the cyclopes.

Raditz lowered his hands, huffing for breath after the exertion of releasing so much power at once and the strain it caused on his already injured body. He still had the strength to maintain his Super Saiyan form, but with his injuries and his growing exhaustion, it didn't seem he'd be capable of keeping it up much longer. He kept his gaze focused on the cloud of dust where Cooler had been, just to see if that attack had done the trick.

It hadn't.

Without a doubt, the blast had managed to damage Cooler significantly. Both of his arms had been blown clean off above the elbows. Large portions of his torso and legs were molten and dripping, slowly drying. But Cooler could still regenerate, a luxury that Raditz lacked.

"Hehehe...Is that all, you worthless Saiyan ape? I thought the power of a Super Saiyan was supposed to be limitless. A bunch of nonsense I see." Cooler mocked. He stood up fully, his arms slowly being rebuilt with sturdier armour, while the molten metal on his body slowly retracted back to where it belonged. "Allow me to show you what true power is."

He vanished from sight, instantaneously reappearing right behind Raditz. The injured Saiyan had no time to react, as Cooler immediately drove his heel into the back of Raditz' head. He was sent screaming down through the air, and Cooler wasted no time taking after him in hot pursuit. He pummeled Raditz with rapid fire kicks from his still working legs, repeated blows bruising his exposed, bloodied chest.

Another firm blow, and Cooler sent his foe hurtling down into one towering ruin. His body collided with the rock, becoming embedded in the hard material. Cooler slowly descended until he was directly behind Raditz. By now, his arms had regenerated to the wrist. "Do you see now? No power can stop me, not even a golden monkey like you."

His tail slowly slithered up, coiling around Raditz' neck. The long-haired Saiyan gave a few weak gagging noises as the tail lifted him up, his whole tired body sagging against the restraint. "Time to put an end to this, I suppose."

On the streets below, Tanip kept slashing wildly at the crowds of cyclopic robots charging her and her family. Her ki charged blade was able to carve through their armoured plates like a hot knife through butter. It seemed that, at last, the enemy numbers were starting to subside.

She heard a pained cry above them, and Tanip quickly scanned the sky for the source of the noise. It took her a moment, but she soon identified the golden light of her uncles aura flickering away, the pale yellow light reflecting off of Cooler's pristine metal skin. "Uncle!" Tanip exclaimed in a shocked gasp. "Dad, Gohan, keep the robots busy! I'm gonna save Uncl Raditz!" she called out.

Before either of her relations, or Inyon, could protest the decision, Tanip tripled the size of her golden aura and took off into the sky as fast as she could. There was some ground to cover, but no doubt Coolers ego meant he's want to kill Raditz in some lengthy and overly extravagant fashion. Enough time to swoop in and save the day.

While still holding Raditz by the neck with his tail, Cooler gave a small chuckle. "Now then, how to do away with you...? I suppose I should cool you off first." He swung his tail and sent the injured Super Saiyan hurtling through the sky at hypersonic speed, until he passed through the energy dome around the city, Raditz' body being flung like a ragdoll through the raging white winds.

Raditz body came crashing down onto one white bank of snow, a white cloud being kicked up around him when he struck it. The Super Saiyan grunted and struggled, before finally managing to roll over onto his back in the thick bed of snow.

Cooler materialised in front of him through Instant Transmission, a cocky grin on his face. "Too beaten to even stand up? That's a good look for you." He slowly raised up a metal index finger, taking aim at his downed foe.

There was a sudden whistling in the wind, the noise of a sonic boom that made Cooler tense and look away from Raditz. He turned just as Tanip's golden form burst through one thick wave of white, her sword raised up high. Despite his shock, Cooler raised his arm just in time to block the downward slash, the ki-charged blade digging a few centimetres into his metal forearm and leaving a nasty cut.

Tanip delivered a flurry of high speed slashes, her blade almost invisible to the naked eye from the speed of the motions. Cooler was moving his arms just fast enough to intercept the strikes, but every blocked hit still managed to leave a deep cut in his newly-regenerated limbs. It didn't take long for them to look like two chopping boards. "Leave my uncle alone you ugly lizard bastard!"

Cooler shifted his body around to avoid one stab, and he quickly raised one leg up and kicked Tanip in the face with enough force to stagger her backward. He spun his whole body then, delivering two tail slaps that managed to bruise Tanip's face and stagger her even further.

From where he was stuck in the snow, Raditz grunted and tried in vain to get up again. Tanip was strong, and she was well trained, but that machine would soon adapt against anything she could throw at him. He had to help her, in any way possible. He managed to raised two arms up, golden light building in his cupped palms. All his remaining power.

The young half-Saiyan skidded back through the snow to avoid another kick from the metal Arcosian, before flinging her blade up and catching it again, aiming the hilt at her foe. She dove forward, narrowly avoiding being speared by Cooler's pointed tail, and then the hilt of her katana shot up and smashed into Cooler's nose, snapping his head up at an angle no head was ever supposed to go.

While Cooler's damaged body stumbled backward, Tanip adjusted her blade again. The gleaming metal suddenly glowed bright white once the half-Saiyan started charging even more ki into the material. Cooler's armour was damn tough, she'd need a major boost to slice all the way through it.

Her aura exploded around her again, the shockwave from the golden burst of light dispersing the snow around her and leaving the ground bare. Her foot propelled her forward and then she made a horizontal slice with her blade, the metal kissing just under Cooler's ribs.

A loud yell escaped Tanip's lips, and then veins started popping up along her toned arms as she tried to strain her physical strength even further. The blade dug deep into Coolers body, to the point where the Arcosian was howling in pain. Finally, Tanip's strength had boosted just far enough that she managed to cut Cooler clean in half and sent both of his halves tumbling up into the air.

It was at that moment Tanip heard her uncle quite clearly exclaim "Tanip! Get out f the way!" She wasted no time in looking for the source of her uncles voice, instead she just followed orders and leapt back. The large wave of golden light exploded from Raditz palms, and struck Coolers airborne halves before they could start regenerating.

Cooler's 'skin' was an alien metal that could warp and change its dimensions in almost any way, its durability constantly shifting to withstand any threat. However his internal components, all the diodes, wires and circuits, were not so fortunate. Exactly what Raditz was counting on.

The energy wave burnt away all of Cooler's internal components, light bursting out of all of Meta-Coolers orifices. Raditz gave a loud yell, pouring out everything he had left, his max-power energy wave tripling in size as he gave it his all, the blast managing to utterly vaporize the empty shells of armour that remained of Coolers artificial body.

The blast subsided finally, revealing the deep trench in the planets surface that Raditz' attack had caused. The Saiyans long mane of hair finally turned into its normal black hue, the spikes drooping back down. He fell back on the snow, huffing for breath. That really had taken all the strength he had left, his whole body aching.

"Uncle, that was amazing!" Tanip exclaimed, landing beside him. She sheathed her blade, and then hoisted Raditz up onto her shoulder "Now we just gotta take care of the giant starfish."

Raditz gave a weak, slightly pained, chuckle. "Oh sure...I totally have the strength to handle that." he joked. Even with Tanip supporting his weight, his legs were still swaying about as if they were made from jelly.

She floated up a few inches off of the ground, still supporting her uncles weight, and she slowly led the way toward the domed city. But then a voice caught Tanip's attention, the shock and fear from hearing that voice making her body grow rigid.

"Leaving so soon?"

It wasn't possible. She saw him get blown to bits, utterly vaporized. He was dead, she was so sure of it...so why was she hearing Cooler's voice now?

Against her better judgement Tanip slowly began to turn around. There, standing in the snow bank as clear as day, was Meta-Cooler. He had a smile on his face, calm and collected. "I thought we were just starting to have fun."

"B-but...You're supposed to be...I saw you...you were destroyed."

"Oh I was. Or, my mechanical body was, at least. So long as the Big Gete Star exists, it will be able to make new bodies for me." Cooler explained. By now a wave of shadowy figures were forming in the thick white waves of snow. "The interesting thing about the star is that it will always find a way to counter any of my weaknesses. Even if that weakness is that there is only one of me."

Tanip's eyes widened in sudden realisation and horror. "No...no no no..." Tanip whispered to herself. The white wall parted to reveal an army of Meta-Coolers, a sea of metallic creatures. Hundreds and hundreds of them, as far as the eye could see.

* * *

A/N: Next chapter...Well anyone who's seen the Meta-Cooler movie already knows where this is going, more or less. We'll be dealing with the Androids soon enough.

**-Guest: Does Sabrina Brandt exist in this timeline?**

Who the hell is Sabrina Brandt?

**-Apope: And did Gohan(Grandpa)die?How?**

He's still alive, just retired like Master Roshi and the Ox King.

**-Pointer: Crazy how you pop your chapters out left and right for TWO stories, Guardian is at 33, 1 behind my story lol...**

Well Guardian will be getting more chapters for the time being, since FoLF will be on hiatus until I can see Battle of Gods. Wanna get the dialogue and fighting style of Bills done right. I also have an idea for a short DC-DBZ crossover that I might work on now that I have the summer.


	35. Defrost

There they were. An entire army of Meta-Cooler's watching Tanip and her barely conscious uncle. Tanip felt her heartbeat rise, her pulse almost tripling in fear from the sight. One of these bastards was dangerous enough, stronger than an untrained Super Saiyan, but an entire army of them?

This was every bit as hopeless as Tanip's own timeline, how the hell were they to win?

She was suddenly snapped from her thought when one of the metal Arcosians shot forth, his foot striking her in the jaw and sending her hurtling away. She had lost her grip on her uncle, but as she flew backward she could clearly see that same Meta-Cooler punching him in the face with enough force to knock him out fully.

Tanip flipped and rolled through the air, before managing to land on her feet, skidding to a halt in the snow. She pushed herself back off the ground again and shot toward her downed uncle "Keep away from him!" Tanip snapped, reaching for her blade again.

In a flash one of the other Cooler's had vanished and reappeared in front of her, his tail lashing her in the cheek and sending her spiraling away into the white winds. Another of the machines appeared behind her through Instant Transmission, catching her by the scruff of her shirt and then flinging her down to the ground. Tanip's body smashed into one large chunk of ice, blowing it into a cloud of blue mist on impact, her body bouncing up into the air again before she caught herself.

Tanip could feel the shifting in the cold air, the whistling noise of another opponent coming straight at her from behind. She waited until the robot was just close enough, and then she quickly spun around and fired off a crackling pink energy wave, her Sunday Blaster. The surprise of the attack caught the robot off-guard and the spear-shaped head of the ave was just strong enough to punch a hole through his abdomen.

Cooler staggered back, clearly shocked Tanip still had the means to harm him. The half-Saiyan took her chance and drove forth, holding a ball of white ki above her head. She smashed it down onto the machine's face, the massive ensuing explosion blowing away the top half of the Meta-Cooler's body.

She didn't have long to celebrate her victory. Another two Meta-Cooler's suddenly appeared before her and punched her clean through the air with a mighty simultaneous blow. The two zoomed up into the sky after her, navigating the white winds until the were able to start smashing Tanip back and forth like a violent game of tennis.

A spew of blood and spittle burst from Tanip's mouth from one powerful punch to the face. She tumbled back, her golden hair flickering back to lavender for a brief moment. Tanip managed to snap back out of her daze just in time to duck under another punch and then she drove a powerful punch into a second Meta-Cooler's abdomen with enough force to knock him several dozen mentres away.

She reached for the hilt of her katana, but another two of the metal Arcosians suddenly appeared at her sides. They quickly rained punches down on her, superhumanly powerful blows that came in so quick that she had no chance to block or even make the attempt to dodge.

One metal fist collided with the back of her head and Tanip was sent hurtling straight down to the ground. She skidded into the snow, her body carving a trench in the ice, and when she came to a halt she slowly forced herself onto her feet, huffing for breath.

How was this possible? Her uncle never spoke of these beings at all in her own timeline, yet here they were. Kicking the absolute shit out of the group. They had to be able to survive this. But the question was, how?

Tanip's golden aura tripled, her blood boiling with barely contained rage. "I'm gonna wreck you bastards!" she spat. She shot forward as fast as she could, a streak of golden light heading straight toward the metallic horde standing in the snow fields.

Her knee caught one Meta-Cooler in the jaw, knocking him into his allies and sending them tumbling into a heap. Tanip weaved around to avoid one kick from the side, and she swung her fist back to send another of the machines hurtling away. By now the other Cooler's had gotten to their feet and were advancing on her.

One Cooler dove forth and struck Tanip in the jaw, the power of the blow sending her flying backward only to be caught in a full-nelson by one Meta- Cooler behind her. Tanip kicked her feet up, knocking away another of the machines that advanced on her restrained form, but a third of the machines lurched forward and punched Tanip in the gut with enough force to make her gag in pain.

While she was dazed the Cooler restraining her flung Tanip straight up into the sky. Another of the machines down below took aim at her body and then fired off a white beam of ki. The blast struck Tanip with a mighty explosive force, and it was that which finally knocked Tanip unconscious.

* * *

Gohan swung his Power Pole downward, the tip of the enchanted staff smashing into the skull of one downed monocular robot. The power of the staff blow caused the machine's skull to explode in a cloud of metal shards and circuitry, sending shrapnel hurtling away into the air. Gohan breathed a sigh of relief and then lifted his staff up "I think that's the last of them."

His father nodded, but for the time being he kept his Super Saiyan form active. He wiped his sweat from his brow and then gave a long exhale "Last of these cyclopes, but we're far from done. There are other cities on this planet, and we still haven't heard back from Raditz and Tanip. Their energies have grown very faint..." Kakarot remarked.

Inyon hopped up onto a mountain of scrapped robot parts, smirking at the two Saiyan males "Well let's get to kicking ass." she replied "Use that...Instant Transmission shit to get us over to where the others are."

A loud clanking noise suddenly caught the attention of the trio. When they turned around they were in for quite a sight, an entire army of Meta-Coolers "Oh there's no need to strain yourselves." The leader of the pack purred "We'll be more than happy to bring you to them...after we tenderize you a bit first..."

Four of the crowd rushed at Gohan, the lavender-haired youth leaping backward to avoid their charge. He entered the proper stance for using his staff and started stabbing and jabbing with the power pole, the extra reach batting the mechanised Arcosians away before they could get close enough to grab him.

Another trio of the machines surged toward Inyon, who proceeded to stand her ground. Not too bright, considering she could barely block the attacks from three incoming beings of such speed and strength. For every punch she deflected, another one broke her guard and smashed the ebony-skinned Saiyan in the face.

She jerked back to dodge one punch, and then she swung up a mighty uppercut that sent one of the Meta-Cooler's shooting into the sky on impact. Her boot lashed forward and smashed into the torso of another attacker to knock him away. Her free hand raised up with a crackling ball of chi in her palm, ready to smash it into the third Meta-Cooler.

Inyon's wrist was caught mid-swing and a metal fist was buried into her gut by her third attacker "Good effort. Not good enough." Cooler mocked. Inyon gave a pained grunt, but in her dazed state she could do nothing against her foe as he flung her body into one ruined shell of a building.

Kakarot had shot up into the air as soon as the first of the mechanical horde moved in. Three different machines took off after the spiky-haired Super Saiyan, cackling as they rapidly closed the distance. Kakarot supposed now was as good a time as any to try out that technique he had seen the human warriors use before.

He flew backward and kept his gaze focused in on the Meta-Coolers. Kakarot gave a grunt as he channelled his ki, he cupped his hands at his hips and let a pale blue ball of ki form between his palms. **"Ka...Me..." **The Coolers kept their advance going strong **"Ha...Me..."**

Kakarot suddenly moved so fast that he vanished from sight completely, only to reappear right beside one of the metal monsters. He shoved his hands and the blue ball of light forward, his foe raising his arms all too late to block the attack. Kakarot gave a resounding yell of **"HA!"** and fired off the blast of blue light, the beam utterly engulfing Cooler and releasing just enough power to strip the armour from his body and destroy all the circuitry and wires within, utterly vaporizing his first pursuer.

"Wow...that felt natural, almost." Kakarot remarked with a small chuckle. He shifted his body around and narrowly managed to block an incoming punch, only for the third Cooler to knock him through the air with a powerful tail whip. Kakarot's body crashed into one wall, and a split second later one of the other Meta-Coolers charged into his body and started smashing him through several ruined buildings.

The magical nature of the Power Pole made it an object the Big Gete Star had almost no understanding of. As a result the armour that coated the Meta-Cooler's had no special resistance to the staff, and every blow that Gohan struck with it managed for form a deep dent in their metallic plates.

Gohan jabbed the end of the scarlet staff down, the tip punching into his closest attackers face and making it crumble inward. He flipped over another Cooler and gripped his staff firmly, before releasing a flurry of blows that repeatedly struck into the back of its chestplate, a web of deep dents and cracks warping it out of shape.

**"Power Pole Extend!"** He yelled, raising the staff up. It glowed red for a second and then it doubled in length. Gohan gave one mighty swing of his staff, the length of the pole allowing him to strike away all three of his foes and send them hurtling away.

Another Cooler suddenly appeared in front of Gohan through Instant Transmission, quickly launching a powerful kick at the demi-Saiyan. Gohan's staff retracted to its normal size, and he quickly angled it to block the strike, but the force of it still jerked his whole body backward. Cooler's attacks came in fast and furious, Gohan only just fast enough to block every one of the superhuman attacks.

Down on the ruined streets below, Inyon was still duking it out with several units from the Meta-Cooler army. She shoulder-charged one of the mechanised Arcosians and sent it hurting flat on its back, its body carving a deep trench on impact.

Inyon leapt up and then stomped her armoured boots onto Cooler's face, driving the creature deeper into the concrete and leaving him pinned beneath her weight. She reached down and grabbed his tail, before straining her muscles to their limit and tearing his tail clean off "Hehe. Pretty big stinger ya got here frostyballs."

She tightened her grip, before spinning around and throwing the disembodied tail like a spear. It sailed through the air and then struck another of the androids, piercing him through his face and sending him hurtling backward through the air "Bullseye!"

Another foe tackled her, smashing her clean through one small mountain of rubble that exploded into a cloud of dust on impact. Cooler pinned Inyon beneath him, and then he started to pummel her face with his ironclad fists, each blow shaking the surrounding streets. The sheer speed of the disorienting and damaging blows meant that Inyon couldn't get a chance to make a counter attack.

Another thunderous punch and she felt her teeth crack slightly. Then another fist struck her nose and broke it. Finally, she saw her foe raise his fist up and smash it down on her face, producing enough force to knock her out.

A powerful knee to the face sent Gohan hurtling backward until he collided with tall mound of concrete, making it explode into dust on impact. He stopped himself in the air, grunting in pain, only for another Cooler to teleport directly behind him before hitting him in the face with a roundhouse kick that sent Gohan hurtling to the ground.

Gohan smashed face first into the hard terrain, groaning in pain. He managed to force himself upright and quickly holstered his power pole on his back, before scanning his gaze around frantically. They were going to strike again, but the question was, where would they hit him from?

From behind, as it turned out. One Meta-Cooler materialized from the ether behind him, one hand outstretched "Time to end this little game, boy." he said. His hand crackled, and a massive bolt of white lighting burst from his hand and exploded against Gohan's body, the kick of the blast strong enough to send him hurtling away again.

Gohan's body crashed into one collapsed column of white stone, quickly becoming embedded in the material. A weak groan passed his lips, before his wounded and fatigued body slumped forward, his hair shifting from gold to lavender as he passed out.

Now, Kakarot was the last man standing. About five metal figures were racing toward him, but the lord of the parliament stood his ground firmly. He raised his arm, blocking the first incoming strike, before firing off an invisible kiai with his other hand to knock away the second Cooler charging at him.

Kakarot shoved himself backward as another Cooler managed to reach him, his arms becoming blurs of motion as he strained to continually block the incoming strikes, moving as fast as he could. A third Cooler zipped in suddenly and drove his knee into Kakarot's face, knocking him away from his foes.

The Super Saiyan managed to correct himself in the air, and he quickly flipped across the surface before hopping up onto one upraised mound of earth. Kakarot shot one hand forth, a burst of golden light flying from his palm and managing to catch two Meta-Cooler's in the powerful explosion, the blast sending them hurtling away.

Suddenly Kakarot was struck from the side by an explosive eye blast, knocking him flat on his back. The metal horde jumped him, six metal figures hammering the downed Saiyan from all angles. Their blows came in so fast that he had no hope of dodging or blocking, and it didn't take long for the brutal assault to knock the injured Saiyan unconscious.

* * *

Kakarot swam in and out of consciousness, a sense of weightlessness coming over his injured body. As if he were being suspended in some way. His whole body ached, but he expected that much. At least he was alive...and restrained, with some sort of metal wrapping around his hands and wrists.

It took some time for him to be able to open his eyes slightly. He wasn't in the frozen thundra's or the ruined cities of Arcos, he was in some sort of...vast metal chamber, gunmetal grey in colour and surrounded by blinking lights of multiple colours.

He could hear a mocking voice echoing throughout the airy chamber, but Kakarot couldn't focus enough to tell where it was coming from "Finally awake? Well it's about time. This is no longer nap time, my boy." Cooler. Great.

It wasa struggle, but eventually he raised his head up and noticed his allies were all restrained alongside him "Ngh...You didn't kill us all when you had the chance? Well I'm honestly shocked, normally villains never make stupid decisions like that..." Kakarot mumbled. He continued to scan his eyes around the vast structure, looking for the metal-skinned bastard. His eyes came to rest on one other figure in the chamber, veiled in shadow, and then they widened in shock at the deformed shape.

"Surprised? An Arcosian doesn't need much to survive on." Cooler remarked. Half of his face had been blown off completely, covered up by thick metal. His neck was in good condition, while the right half of his torso was gone entirely. He had lost his legs and his waist, and his left arm was just a mangled stump that stopped just above the elbow. Long columns of liquid metal grew from the floor and the ceiling, leaving Cooler's remains suspended in the air.

"Metal's a good look for you." Kakarot remarked. A crack of pain ran through his body, currents of electricity running through the metal suspending his body and making the Saiyan howl in agony.

"I'd hold my tongue if I were you." Cooler replied in a low, metallic hiss.

The current subsided and Kakarot slumped forward slightly in his restraints, panting for breath. "Ngh...Why...the hell did you spare us?" he asked through ragged breaths.

"The Big Gete Star needs its fuel, and five Super Saiyans will be enough to keep it going for quite some time. I didn't even need to capture any more of my people." Cooler replied. The restraints holding his allies all crackled to life, their screams echoing throughout the vast computer room as Cooler snapped them from their sleep.

The whole chamber was set aglow by the bursts of light running against the captured Saiyan's bodies. Kakarot felt a burn running through his whole body, a pain unlike any he had felt in some time. He had to think quickly or this machine would suck him dry!

Maybe if he transformed and poured out all the energy he had left, then he could possibly overload th-

A sudden quake rocked the entire Big Gete Star, catching even Cooler off-guard. He ceased shocking his prisoners and then scanned his remaining eye all about the vast chamber "What? Where did that come from?!"

* * *

The Valiance was the newest and most powerful frigate used by the Rao Mercenary Corps. A 500 metre long column of russet-coloured metal, with a large mass driver cannon on the front and six large thrusters on the opposite end of the ship. The surface of the Valiance was smooth, save for the various turrets dotted around the craft for spatial combat.

The ship lazily orbited Arcos' moon of Blizzah, its mass driver aimed at the massive shape of the Big Gete Star. That first shot was just a warning, a love tap to see what that starfish could endure.

Captain Novus was a tall Ikondan, dressed in a white and black suit of combat armour with Kakarot's Kami kanji marked on the breastplate. He was the commander of the Rao mercs, and while his crew were all loyal to him he was loyal to Kakarot above all else.

He adjusted himself in the captains chair, letting his eyes wander from his various officers, to the monitor that displayed the dent the mass driver had formed on the surface of the machine. One officer caught his attention, calling out "Captain, the surface of that creature is shifting. It's developing orb-" A barrage of lasers flew from the planetside and collided against the invisible barrier of the Valiance's energy shield, a small rumbling hitting the birdge of the craft. "O-orbital cannons, sir."

"Noted. Keep me posted on the strength of our shield. Boost the mass driver's power by 6% and fire another shot." Novus ordered. He glanced to his Yardrat assistant "Send a telepathic message to Lord Kakarot. Valiance has arrived."

* * *

The telepathic message reached Kakarot just as another earth-quaking blow hit the Big gete Star, this time the shockwave was far more intense. "You're finished Cooler." Kakarot remarked, a grin crossing his bruised face. He gave a loud yell and strained his injured body against his restraints, a golden explosion of light bursting around his body as he transformed into a Super Saiyan.

Several explosions burst off of the walls of circuitry that comprised the chamber, unprepared for the sudden surge of ki. Kakarot gave a quick yank of his arms and legs, proving jut strong enough to tear from his restraints. The split second after he was freed, he shot both of his hands outward and fired off two white beams of light that cut through the metal lengths restraining Tanip and Gohan.

The twins hit the metal floor with a low thud, disoriented and injured. They looked to their father, but he seemed solely focused on Cooler's remains "Free your uncle and Inyon. Get to wherever Cooler is storing the other Arcosians and get as many of them as possible, as far away from the Big Gete Star as possible." He ordered.

No point in arguing when their father used that tone. Tanip drew her blade and went to cut down Raditz and Inyon, while earth's guardian flared his golden aura up.

Another rumble ran throughout the nearby area, but this was not caused by the frigate attacking the Big Gete Star. Cooler's remains began to warp in their proportions, his organic parts growing larger and bulkier while the metal grew off the walls and formed around his body to create artificial limbs. His body kept growing and growing, until his form was almost gigantic in size.

"I will not be beaten again!" Cooler snarled, starting to charge toward Kakarot. the other Saiyans begrudingly set off to explore the metallic corridors, leaving Kakartot to face the giant cyborg on his own.

He leapt backward to avoid Cooler's fist, the metal knuckles smashing the floor and forming a deep dent in the floor plates. Wires split from his muscular limb and shot toward Kakarot, whipping and stabbing at him so fast that Kakarot could barely dodge the strikes. A few of the tendrils lashed at his exposed flesh, making Kakarot grunt in pain as the metal tore open some new cuts along his toned body.

Cooler gave another snarl and swung his clawed hand upward, but Kakarot pushed himself sideways just in time to avoid being speared on one elongated digit. While the momentum of the swing carried Cooler forward, Kakarot shot forward like a golden comet and drovve both of his fists into the organic portion of Cooler's torso.

The impact was just strong enough to lift him off the ground, and Kakrot zipped around to slam his feet into Cooler's temple. Cooler lurched sideways and smashed into one metal wall, a cloud of dust kicking up around his enlarged frame.

Between trying to organise a defense against an powerful spaceship, and dealing with the much closer threat of a pissed off Super Saiyan, Cooler certainly wasn't able to fight at his peak. He turned his head and gave an enraged yell, a beam of pale blue light bursting from his organic eye and forcing Kakarot into the wall on the opposite end of the chamber, an explosion engulfing his body on impact.

Kakarot's body tumbled from the smoke cloud and smashed into the metal floor on his hands and knees. "Urgh...Well...that was lovely..." he grumbled. Another wave of pain suddenly hit him, as if a pressure was being applied to his chest just above his heart "Rrgh! D-damn...w-why now of all times...?" This heart virus was really getting on his nerves...

While Kakarot was still doubled over in pain, Cooler saw now as his time to strike. He raised one giant fist up and started charging, but another sudden quake hit the Big Gete Star. This one made Cooler stumble and almost lose his footing, but the damage done to the giant starfish was so strong that it caused the ceiling above him to explode in a wave of fire and lighting that made Cooler howl in pain and stagger back as it hit his face.

Kakarot struggled up to his feet, knowing he had to end this now before his body gave out on him. He shoved his hands out, a vortex of gold and red light forming on his cupped palms. He dove forward and growled "Raging..." before he vanished from sight and suddenly reappeared right in front of Cooler's maimed face **"BLAST!"**

The Super Saiyan kept yelling as he released the wide wave of ki, ignoring the pain racking his body due to his injuries and the strain on his heart. The thunderous wave shook the massive structure even further, setting the whole area aglow as it tore through Cooler's skull and utterly destroyed the remains of his brain.

The blast slowly subsided into nothing. Kakarot's hair fell down and went from gold to black as he lost the majority of his ki. Cooler's headless body collapsed and hit the ground with a noisy crash. Without his brain to coordinate it, the Big Gete Star was just a lump of metal.

Tremors continued to rock the giant starfish as the Valiance's attacks took it's toll on the ship, more foery explosions bursting from the walls. Kakarot took a deep breath and focused on the energies of his children, vanishing into hyperspace through Instant Transmission once he locked onto them.

* * *

Kakarot reappeared in the same ruined city from before, a crowd of Arcosians surrounding him and his allies. There must have been...hundreds of Arcosians here! They searched about for their family members, looks of awe, relief and fear on their various faces. "How...how did you get so many of them so far so fast?" Kakarot asked.

Inyon took a seat on one large chunk of debris and grinned at Kakarot "I gave my ki to Raditz so he could use his Instant Transmission...then we had as many Arcosians as possible grab onto him and Gohan, and they teleported us to where Jeice and Burter were." she added, pointing to the two former Ginyu members.

Kakarot nodded, before reaching over to rub his chest just above his heart. The pain was subsiding at least. "Mhm. Good thinking." He sat back to watch the distant and gigantic form of the Big Gete Star rising up into the sky, explosions bursting up along the metal surface. The Valiance continued to blast it from the heavens, each shot blowing away another chunk of it. He'd have to send a team to destroy every chunk of it, on the off-chance that the Big Gete Star would learn how to function without an organic brain to dictate it.

"How...How many did you get out of there?" One female Arcosian asked, approaching Kakarot. the spiky-haired Saiyan grimaced, not tearing his gaze away from the smoking ruin of the Big Gete Star as it was gradually blown away into nothingness.

"As many as we could."

* * *

A/N: Well that was a bitch and a half to write. Next chapter the Android saga officially begins, but will the Z-Fighters have trained enough to change the future?

Part of me feels I should rename this story, since there are like five billion other stories titled 'Guardian' in the DBZ section.

Oh yeah, and we just passed 600 reviews! Yaaaaay! Thanks guys!

**-Sole Warrior: Hey, nice fic. I was wondering what was up with the DBM2 project; you guys planning on starting it soon?**

Honestly, I dunno what the deal is with that. I think we're waiting until the other authors pass the Buu saga, or something like that.

**In terms of your story though, I dislike when you say "you guys know what's next" or "this saga will end next chapter" because it spoils so much.**

It's really not much of a spoiler. The various DBZ movies and their plots aren't exactly obscure.

**-Jack: Do you plan on using Android 18's real name here? If so I'd recommend Lillian. pretty name for a pretty woman**

Hm, not bad. But I'm gonna do the Toriyama thing and try find some set of puns to use to name her and her brother.

**-Herodan3: Awesome Chapter. By the way where would you put Gohan to his canon counterpart in power?**

Hm...in and around Mirai Trunks' strength level, same with his sister.

**-Guest: Sabrina Brandt, or just Brandt, is a fictional character from the Japanese graphic novel Silver Company created by manga artist Eiichiro Oda. Brandt is an operative of Silver Company, which is an agency run by dozens of aliens. Some of the races in the story were borrowed from Akira Toriyama's works.**

Neeeeever heard of her, not really all that interested in using her.

**Sardine Tyrant Valzy: Question: Are the Meta-Coolers in their 5th form?**

Nah, they're supposed to resemble Cooler's fourth form.


	36. Dangerous Visions

May 12th, Age 767. On this day the Red Ribbon Army begin their campaign to slaughter the greatest warriors on earth and conquer the worlds. A cybernetic child will command their armies, and a group of inhumanly powerful Androids will spearhead their assaults.

If the Z-warriors haven't prepared enough, then they and the rest of the world are all doomed.

Kakarot sat on his bed on the Lookout, grunting as he slowly massaged above his heart "I can go with them...I can fight..." he grumbled, glancing up at his wife.

The turquoise-haired heiress crossed her arms and shook her head, her shoulder length mane swishing about slightly "Oh no you don't mister. Just sitting up like that is causing you discomfort. I need you nearby so I can apply your medicine, and if you keep moving around then you'll do yourself more harm than good." Bulma explained "Raditz is staying up here to handle any messages from the parliament, and I brought the kids up here to keep them out of the conflict."

The Gohan and Tanip of this timeline were mere toddlers by now, but if she left them in the city then their unnatural power levels might draw attention. Mr. Popo was good with kids though, so they at least had someone to give them decent schooling while they were up here.

"I just feel guilty...Here I am, the guy who promised to be the Guardian of Earth, stuck bedridden. This heart virus will have me comatose soon..." Kakarot remarked. Another stroke of pain hit him, and took a few deep breaths to steady himself.

Bulma was visibly saddened to see such a powerful being in such pain. He was like a modern god, and now his own body was betraying him "It'll only be for ten days. Just trust me." Bulma remarked, placing her slender digits on the side of Kakarot's face. "So just relax. If the others don't nip this in the bud, well you'll be in tip top shape to join the fray soon enough."

The fact that Kakarot was in better shape than his future timeline counterpart meant that the comatose stage of his virus was coming in later. But it couldn't be put off forever. With a resigned sigh, Kakarot kicked his boots off and then rolled onto the bed. Raditz entered the room then, looking between the other two.

"Just rest little brother, I'll take care of everything." Raditz said firmly "I'll try and keep the parliament in check from here. And on the off-chance that one of those machines finds this place then I'll give it my all to protect the Lookout."

"But the others-" Kakarot began, only to be quickly interrupted by his brother.

"They will be fine. They've all done their training, they have a numbers advantage...Down there are two Super Saiyans, a Super Namek, and five humans with an amped up Kaioken. They'll win...just not as quickly, since we won't be there." Raditz said cockily. "Now go to sleep before I punch you out."

Kakarot rolled his eyes and sunk back in his bed "I don't get you sometimes...but I know you care, so that's good enough." He released a steady breath and shut his eyes.

* * *

South City. Here was where the Androids were to make their first attack, causing plenty of destruction in the hopes of drawing Kakarot's allies out into the open. Unbeknownst to the Redcoats, the Z-warriors were already in the city in search of the mechanical menaces. Kami and Chi Chi were observing the city while concealed by clouds, while the others walked the streets in hooded garments.

Thus far, all was peaceful. People shopped, ate in restaurants, went about doing their jobs...It was just a normal day to them, with lovely sunny weather. What could possibly go wrong on a day as lovely as this one?

Tien walked down first street dressed in a hooded tweed robe over his normal Crane School pants. His three eyes constantly surveyed the various pedestrians walking by. Thus far he hadn't seen a trace of the Androids. One would think they would be easy to spot, since two of them looked barely human. But it was a large city, a lot of ground to cover and a lot of people per square block.

They'd show up soon enough. According to what the twins had told them, the group had at least 10 minutes left before the Androids started blowing this place to hell.

After a few more seconds of walking, the Triclops caught a fleeting glimpse of a tall silver-haired figure turning one corner. From the brief look he got, Tien recognized his outfit and found it similar to the description Tanip and Gohan had given him. Android 13, leader of this 'Redcoat' group.

Tien quickly took off after him, unwilling to let this silver-haired bastard evade him. He pushed past people, ignoring their complaints about his rudeness. They sure as hell wouldn't be standing in his way if they knew what was coming. His eyes quickly spotted 13 again, and sure enough there was the RRA logo on his long coat. No ki signature coming off of him either. Well that was all the proof that Tien needed.

He pushed his foot off the ground, managing to go clear above the crowd before him with one powerful leap. His foot glowed with crimson energy, and as he descended through the sky he swung his leg out in a powerful kick.

Android 13 was turning just as Tien's boot hurtled his way, and was unable to stop the blow from hitting him in the cheek and knocking him clean off his feet. His body was flung clean across the road and smashed into one parked car, leaving a print of his body in the metal, before he bounced off the car and flipped back through the air. 13 landed on the sidewalk behind the car, grunting in annoyance.

"The hell...?" 13 grumbled, rubbing the small scuff on his cheek. He looked up, noticing Tien removing his hooded garment. By now the citizens were fleeing and screaming, unwilling to get caught in a superhuman scuffle like this...but to Tien and Android 13, there was nobody else in the city right now. "How the hell did he know we'd be here...?"

13 shot up into the air at an incredible speed, the sudden boom of speed shattering the windows of several buildings and sending a rain of broken glass down to the city streets below. Tien's white and crimson aura exploded around his body and he quickly took off into the air after the silver-haired android.

Tien dove at his foe and launched another quick kick, only to be blocked by the Android. Tien swung his hand at 13's head in a horizontal chop, only for the strike to be blocked again. The triclops weaved his body around at a superhuman speed to dodge a punch from his mechanical foe, and then he jammed his foot into 13's side.

While 13 was staggered by the attack, Tien pushed forward and fired off several rapid finger strikes that bombarded the Android's chest that managed to stagger him backward. After managing to land a few clean hits, 13 caught Tien's wrist and twisted it in a most painful fashion that caused Tien to yell in pain. "Hmph, not bad. For a human."

The triclops amplified his durability, just as 13 punched him in the gut. Tien felt two of his eyes bulge from his head, just before the Android swung his free hand up and smashed him in the face with the back of his knuckles. He swung the dazed triclops around by his hand, and then released his grip to send Tien hurtling downward.

Tien smashed face first into one rooftop, his body grinding into the hard surface before he pushed his hands out to halt his momentum. Just as Tien was getting to his feet, 13 tapped a button in his right ear and started speaking "Alright boys, I dunno how but the triclops found me and attacked me. Get your asses over here now!"

* * *

At the centre of the city, the transmission reached Android 14's earpiece. The ivory giant gave an annoyed grumble and took off into the air like a rocket, sensors in his eyes beeping and searching the immediate area.

However, as soon as 14 was in the skyline above South City, he was was struck in the back from an energy wave. The explosive blast sent 14 tumbling backward and managed to burn his coat slightly, but aside from that 14 was unharmed.

He turned and glared at his attacker: Chi Chi, the ox princess. She smiled and flicked her braid back, before fixing up the white belt over her blue and gold chestplate "You must be 14. I'm Chi Chi...And that fellow about to kick you in the neck is Kami."

The blow hit like a bolt of lightning, the shocking force managing to spin 14 several feet down through the air. He managed to stop his momentum and shot his fist forward, smashing it against Kami's own once he fired off another punch. The shockwave of the collision forced both of them backward, and 14 tried to steady himself again.

He noticed first how Kami's frame was far larger than records suggested. Huge muscles rippling all around his body beneath his normal white gi. Veins popping up under his green skin and small sparks of red lightning running across his body. His power was far higher than projected estimates, but 14 was sure he could still win against him, even if he had Chi Chi for help.

Chi Chi and Kami shot forward at the same time, and now that 14 was anticipating the attacks he was able to block and dodge the superhumanly powerful motions. His arms were like two blurs, regularly blocking the fast and furious blows from Kami and Chi Chi.

One of 14's inhumanly large fists shot forward like a rocket, striking Kami in the face and breaking his nose from the power behind it. While Kami staggered back, Chi Chi increased her durability with Zen Kaioken. 14's elbow struck her gut, making the princess grimace from the pain, and then 14 snapped his arm up and struck Chi Chi in the face with the back of his knuckles hard enough to make her howl in pain.

Thinking quickly, Kami charged a ball of yellow light in his palm and then stretched his inflated arm outward at a rapid speed, smashing it into the Android's face. The explosion burnt away a portion of synthetic skin and knocked 14 back a few feet, clutching the smoking portion of his face.

"We need to get him away from the city!" Kami called out, gesturing to the currently undamaged structures below them.

Chi Chi gave a rapid nod in response "You got it!" She clenched her fists together, and then her whole body started to glow red as she used her Ox Charge technique to amplify her physical prowess. She shot forth like a rocket and then swung her clenched fists together, smashing them into 14's damaged face.

The force of the impact sent tremors through the air, and the speed that 14 was launched away at released a deafening sonic boom. The duo watched as 14 crashed into a grasslands outside the city, a mere poof of dust given how far he had travelled, and then they took off after him.

* * *

By now, the others were fully aware that 13 and 14 had been spotted and were engaging them in battle. Yamcha had contacted the others telepathically to let them know he was coming to Tien's aid, while Krillin and Nam kept up the search for Android 15.

That left Gohan and Tanip to track down Android 16. From their own timeline, they knew 16 to be rather passive compared to the others...but that didn't mean he was any less dangerous. Raditz had said that 16 was the strongest of the 4, but surely he couldn't take on two Super Saiyan's at once...right?

Gohan and Tanip landed on one small building overlooking South City's park, following a hunch that Gohan had made. Sure enough, the twins spotted 16 in th park tending to the birds. He regretfully and reluctantly began to leave them, floating up into the air above the park.

"How do you wanna go about this?" Tanip asked, letting her hand rest on the hilt of her blade. She didn't take her gaze off of 16, didn't dare to, one had to always watch the Androids because of how easily they could avoid detection.

"We transform, attack together as quick as we can." Gohan began as he pulled the Power Pole off of his back "We'll stun him with a few clean hits and then knock him away from the city. Sound good sis?" Gohan asked.

Tanip drew her blade and stood up fully, her golden aura exploding around her body as she transformed "You know it bro. Let's kick some ass." Gohan made no reply, he simply stood up fully and transformed like his sister.

The two Super Saiyans shot forward at impossible speeds, to golden meteors zooming straight toward 16. The giant was looking upward as he ascended into the sky, yet when Tanip swung a vertical slash at him, he rather casually oriented his body to avoid the slash entirely. Withut looking he ducked under Gohan's staff, and then proceeded to lazily catch Tanip's katana mid-stab.

"Ngh-W-wha...How is he so strong?!" Tanip snapped. She firmly gripped the hilt of the blade while trying to wrench it from 16's vice-like grip...to no avail. Gohan stabbed his staff forward, aiming for 16's stomach, only for the red-haired giant to expertly catch it too.

"I would rather we did not fight here." 16 said firmly, looking from Tanip and then to Gohan. His eyes travelled downward, looking to the birds chirping around the park "We might scare the birds away. Please let us move this away from the city."

Gohan and Tanip exchanged uncertain glances at each other. Was this guy for real? He'd be committing genocide for the Red Ribbon Army, but he didn't want to scare the birds? Finally Gohan spoke up "Um...Okay...Let's move the fight outside the city."

The answer seemed to please 16, enough to bring a smile to his face, but he kept his grip on the two weapons firm for the time being. He glanced off onto the horizon, trying to locate the signals of the other androids. He detected 14's signal, along with Kami and Chi Chi's energy levels, in the grasslands outside the city and proceeded to nod in that direction.

"Follow me please." 16 said, finally releasing his grip on the twins weapons. He flew off slowy, gradually gaining speed as he moved further and further from the park. Gohan and Tanip cautiously flew after him. There was possibly some trap to this, but there was no way to argue against 16's motives. They needed to move away from the city after all.

* * *

Android 15 had been easy enough to spot. While Nam and Krillin had been zooming over the city, they spotted the purple dwarf flying into the air in some attempt to meet up with Android 13.

"An odd looking fellow, isn't he?" Nam remarked as he and Krillin took off into the air after 15.

"I'll say." Krillin replied dryly "Purple skin? Really? Why purple? I mean, if that Gero guy was trying to make them look like humans, why make one with purple skin?" he asked.

Nam gave a lazy shrug "I'll be sure to ask about it when we meet him in person. For the time being though..." He trailed off and let his crimson aura explode around him, and Krillin proceeded to do the same.

The two humans shot toward Android 15, amplifying their speed tenfold to rapidly reach the short android. However 15's sensors alerted him to the incoming power levels, and he quickly turned in the air and caught the incoming punches with his short arms "Tch, I dunno how you knew we'd be here, but all you're doing is saving us the trouble of hunting you assholes down!" 15 spat.

15 shoved his arms out, the susprising degree of strength in his robotic arms shoving Nam and Krillin backward. 15 shot forward like a bullet and backhanded Krillin across the face with enough power to smash him clean through one large window, knocking him clean through the other end of the tall building.

Nam crossed his arms to stop an incoming double kick from the stumpy android, but the power of the attack sent shockwaves throughout his whole body. Nam was forced straight onto the defensive, 15's light frame making him a much smaller target. Nam blocked and swerved and parried many incoming kicks, but 15 seemed unrelenting in his assault.

Finally Nam got his chance. He boosted his speed up ad managed to catch one of 15's fists in his palm and clench down on the digits. "H-huh?! Let go you bast-" Before 15 could say another word, Nam shoved a pale blue ki ball into 15's torso which launched him back with a powerful explosive force. 15's stumpy body smashed into one wall, becoming embedded within th stone surface. While he ws trapped, Nam charged his energy, amplifying his strength twentyfold, and proceeded to uppercut 15 further upward.

The purple android's body carved deep into the stone, forming a trench up along the length of the wall. Nam shot up to attack 15 again, but this time the dwarf swerved to avoid the strike and proceeded to smash his elbow into Nam's face and stagger him back.

15 struck his foe in the face with three rapid, yet still rather powerful punches to the face, that left Nam dazed and dizzy. Another punch burst Nam's lips and sent blood splashing onto 15's knuckles. "Sorry kid, you put up a good fight but you can't beat me!" 15 spat, charging up another punch to spear his foe through the chest.

Suddenly, Krillin burst through one window above 15 before diving down and kicking him in the back of the head. The blow staggered 15, and even managed to create a small crack on the back of his skull with the power behind the kick. He landed another kick to 15's face, shattering one lens on his sunglasses, but before another blow could be landed 15 smashed Krillin in the stomach with enough power to form a bulge in the bald monk's back.

While the two humans were stunned, 15 grabbed then by the collars and rapidly flung them toward the horizon with inhuman strength. 15 smirked and then took off after the duo as they were flung out of the city.

These humans may have gotten the drop on them, but they were still outmatched against the power of the Redcoats.

* * *

Shockwaves rocked the nearby buildings as Tien and 13 exchanged blows. While Tien had managed to land the first blow in their battle, it was quickly becoming clear that 13 was dominating in this battle, pushing Tien back through the air above the city.

13's fists moved like blurs, each attack only being narrowly blocked by Tien as he rapidly alternated between amplifying his speed and strength. Tien quickly shot one arm up and managed to deflect one incing attack by striking 13's wrist.

In the brief respite, Tien shot his palm forward and struck 13 in the abdomen. The strike managed to knock 13 backward by about two metres, and in that span of time the triclops quickly took aim with his left index finger and yelled out **"Dodonpa!"**

A thin beam of golden light flew from Tien's finger, catching 13 by surprise. The silver-haired Android started moving to avoid getting struck in the head, but the golden blast still winged his shoulder with an explosive force that scorched his artificial body. 13 grunted from the damage, but he didn't linger on it and quickly lunged at Tien again.

The ferocity of 13's renewed assauly caught Tien by surprise. While he managed to block some of the incoming attacks, one punch to the gut dazed Tien and left him unable to guard against the next two punches to the jaw. Tien was staggered back, and 13 took advantage of th situation by backhanding Tien down so that he smashed into one roof top.

Tien grunted in pain, struggling to get back up. 13 slowly pushed one gloved hand forward, a crackling red ball of ki "Ya'll are about to get branded three-eyes."

"Not so fast tin-man!" Yamcha yelled. Just as 13 turned to the source of the noise, he was struck across the face by Yamcha's heel. His blows came in at a rapid pace, staggering 13 repeatedly and unwilling to give him any breathing room. The repeated punches to the face did manage to bruise 13's face slightly, but the damage was hardly serious.

Yamcha pushed forwardand smashed 13 in the face with a powerful headbutt, knocking him several metres away. While 13 caught himself in the air, seething with annoyance, Yamcha fixed up his unkempt ponytail "Sorry Android, but we're not going down without a fight!"

* * *

A/N: Well the Cell Saga is kicking off with a bang with the first skirmish against the Androids. Will the humans superior numbers and training pay off, or will they need to hold out for Kakarot to join the fray again?

**-Speedbump1: **

**1: Who leads the Arcosians now? I'm thinks Kuriza, but since he didn't seem to exist in Fall of Lord Freiza, I'm not sure he exists here.**

**2: Will we see Majin Janemba? Or will we still see Dabura, as in canon?**

1: Arcos is being rules by a makeshift council of politicians to handle the planets affairs.

2: I'm gonna use Buu this time around, but the saga will be heavily altered from canon.

**Super Vegetarott: Pretty good chapter, Arkham. I do have a question: if it took Kakarot, Gohan, Raditz, Inyon, AND Tanip to win here, what happened in the original timeline? It'd only be Kakarot, Raditz, and Inyon there.**

In the original timeline, the three Saiyans were taken captive in the Big Gete Star. The arrival of the Valiance gave them a chance to escape, however far fewer Arcosians were saved because there was only Raditz to get them out with Instant Transmission.

**Sardine Tyrant Valzy: Question: Is Raditz stronger or weaker than the twins? What about Inyon?**

Well Future Raditz was stronger than the twins, while the one in this timeline is roughly equal with them. Inyon is stronger than Cooler's 5th form at the moment.

**Jcogginsa: for 17 and 18's names, how about Nanamaru and Hachiko**

Maybe...what are those puns of?


	37. Cannibal

Android 14's body had formed a rather deep crater in the earth when he hit the ground. He slowly climbed out, grumbling in annoyance as he brushed the dust off of his coat, noticing that his clothing had already received a few tears from his battle with Kami and Chi Chi.

When his boots touched grass again, 14 noticed another rather large figure descending from the sky. Android 16, the most powerful of his allies. When he landed, their foes seemed to appear on the horizon.

Two golden blurs, 'Super Saiyans' according to 14's internal database, and Kami and Chi Chi standing against him. The four warriors landed a few feet away from 16 and 14, staring them down and trying to guess how much damage either Android could take. "Okay, we're away from the birds, so can we get on with this?" Tanip asked, her hand resting on the hilt of her katana.

16 smiled in an almost innocent fashion, and then he slowly nodded at the duo "Yes, this place shall do nicely. Forgive me for this, I would prefer it if we did not fight at all." Faster than the twins could react, 16 shot forward and then punched both of them across the grassy landscape until they crashed into one gathering of rocks.

When Gohan and Tanip got up from the mound of shattered stone, they were visibly shocked. 16 was that strong and that fast? Was such a thing even possible? The duo flared their golden aura's outward, the bursts of light sending the debris flying away while their power levels increased further.

The twins rushed 16 again, Gohan striking his left side while Tanip came at him from the right. Their punches and kicks came it blinding speeds, striking at 16 faster than speeding bullets...and yet the red haired giant was rather casually deflecting every punch with his forearms, moving so casually that he was only faintly watching the two Super Saiyans.

Each blocked blow released a miniature earthquake into the surrounding area and shattered the landscape beneath the warriors. Tanip was growing frustrated ith her attacks being blocked, and she knew full well using her sword would be futile with how easily 16 had caught it when they fought earlier.

Eventually Gohan managed to break 16's guard. He swung is fist out, a feint that caused 16 to raise his arm away from his chest. With that portion of his body unprotected, Gohan swung his leg with all the force and speed he could muster and kicked 16's abdomen. The strike caught 16 by surprise and caused the towering Android to briefly double over. Fully open for more attacks.

Tanip released a flurry of rapid-fire punches, each strike nailing the redhead android's face and knocking him back a few inches. Gohan quickly drew his staff from the holster on his back and pushed forward, driving the head of the power pole into the giant android's chest again and again and again, each strike forming a small crack on 16's chest plating.

Suddenly, 16's giant hand caught Tanip's fist and held it firmly in place, while his second hand caught the head of Gohan's staff and held it firmly in a vice like grip. "Very impressive." 16 remarked "Perhaps I underestimated you. However, data indicates you still have little chance of beating me."

With his grip firm on the female Super Saiyan's wrist, he swung her into the ground with enough force to shatter the ground beneath her, and then he swung her into the nearest tree hard enough to split the trunk clean in half. He yanked Gohan forward and struck him with two mighty punches, the blows making Gohan stagger backward and the second punch hitting hard enough to break Gohan's nose. His foe was dazed and dizzy from the powerful punches, allowing 16 to fling Gohan straight up into the air with one swing of his inhumanly strong arm.

Meanwhile, Android 14 found himself deadlocked in battle with Chi Chi and Kami. The pumped-up Namekian shot forward like a cannonball and shot his fist forward at a shocking speed for his size. His green knuckles collided with enough power to shatter the surrounding boulders, but 14 proved strong enough to shove Kami's fist away, whereupon he promptly drove his palm into Kami's ribs with enough force to send him hurtling away.

Chi Chi started sprinting, and then she leapt clean over Kami's airborne body. The Ox Princess spun through the air and then she stuck her foot forward, aiming a kick at 14's head as she divebombed down through the air.

She boosted her speed through Zen Kaioken, her feet firing off kicks like bullets from a machine gun. While the attacks didn't hit too hard, at least for someone like 14, he was still having trouble blocking the incredibly fast kicks. One foot slipped past 14's guard, driving into the android's face and forcing him backward, the power of the kick strong enough to form small tears along the synthetic skin of 14's cheek.

Now, she had gone and made 14 angry.

He vanished from sight when Chi Chi moved her foot again, moving as fast as his mechanical frame would allow him. He reappeared directly above the princess, hooked his fists together, and then he smashed her into the ground. He shot forward just as the raven-haired girl bounced off the dirt, and then he kicked her so hard that her body flew off into the distance, carving a deep trench in the earth as she went.

14 was all too ready to blast Chi Chi to bits when her body stopped moving, only for his internal scouter to alert him to an incoming attack. He turned in the air and raised his forearms up, his mechanical limbs proving just strong enough to endure the shockwave-inducing strength behind Kami's kick.

The two titans were soon deadlocked, seemingly able to match each other blow for blow. With every strike that connected, a fissure burst from the earth around them, sending a spray of dust and soot into the air. Purple bruises formed on Kami's green skin with every attack he endured, while every blow 14 blocked wound up denting the metal beneath his pale synthetic skin.

14 swung his fists down at the same time, his gargantuan knuckles moving like a pair of hammers. Kami moved just fast enough to catch both of his wrists mid-swing, but his heels were forced deeper into the dirt by the inhuman strength forcing in on him. Now though, he had the white giant right where he wanted him.

He kept his grip firm, a struggle given how strong 14 was, and then Kami's eyes started to flash white hot. A burst of ki exploded from his eyes and hit the upper portion of 14's chest the heat of it incinerating his opponents coat and burning into his pale fake skin. The confussive energy behind the attack was such that once Kami released his grip, 14 was sent hurtling backward whereupon he smashed through several trees.

With the brief respite, Kami took a moment to catch his breath. This bulked up form, even with the training Kami had done with it, it was quickly draining him of his energy. His whole body felt heavy, and at the rate this was going he knew he wouldn't last long enough to beat 14.

* * *

13's body was launched backward, the force behind Yamcha's fist managing to knock him clean through one nearby skyscraper. "Damnit, this guy is becoming a real pain to get out of the city." Yamcha said, watching as 13 flipped through the air and then stopped his mid-air momentum entirely.

"Believe me, I've noticed." Tien replied, spitting a gob of blood into the air. A halo of red light flared up around his body, multiplying his speed and then giving a small boost to the strength of his arms. Yamcha nodded, a similar glow enveloping his own body, before he and the triclops took off toward the white-haired android.

Tien reached him first and swung out a blow with his elbow, but 13 weaved back to dodge, and then he maneuvered his whole body until he was standing behind Tien. His gloved fist drove forward and smashed into the small of the triclops back, the pain of the impact making Tien howl. While he was disoriented, 13 grabbed his shoulders and then flung him down toward the streets below.

Just as 13 began to turn, Yamcha closed the distance and struck 13's collarbone with one powerful downward chop. The impact sent tremors running up Yamcha's arm, but he could already tell it had done some decent damage when he felt the metal warping beneath his hand.

13 felt it, knew that these humans were getting strong enough to harm him...he couldn't afford to play around. He lunged forward and caught Yamcha's neck in his grip and then pulled his other fist backward. Yamcha braced himself, amplifying his duraility just before 13 started throwing out punches. "That all you got?! Y'all hit about as hard as an armadillo's sneeze!"

The mechanical fist repeatedly bombarded Yamcha's chest, and while his durability was amplified Yamcha was far from invulnerable. His body rocked from every punch, a series of darkening purple bruises forming along his torso as the blows continued.

The former bandits fingers were digging into 13's face, slowly ripping the thick layer of synthetic skin. Yamcha was desperately trying to wrench 13's hand from his throat, but the effort was proving to be futile. He couldn't risk boosting his strength with Kaioken, otherwise the next blow to his chest might shatter his ribs...or worse, he'd be impaled on the androids hand!

"I'm gonna break you boy! I'm gonna break you like I plan on breakin' every other human on this damn planet!"

Just as 13 pulled his fist back, clearly charging up a more powerful punch this time around, Tien dashed up above the white-haired Android. Tien's third eye glowed yellow and then a thin beam of golden energy burst from it and struck 13, the small explosion knocking 13 away from the former bandit.

Yamcha started gagging and wheezing for breath, one hand rubbing the bruises on is neck while his other hand gripped the bruises that had formed along his chest. He didn't have much time to gather himself, but with the pain he was currently going through he needed some time to catch his breath after the beating he just endured.

Tien amplified his speed to rapidly close the distance, then once close enough he charged his ki into his muscles to boost his physical strength. His elbow struck the Android's face twice, each blow staggering and dazing the android a bit. Taking advantage of the brief window of opportunity, Tien gripped the shredded and burnt remains of 13's red coat and started to spin him around. Then once he had built enough momentum Tien released his grip and sent the mechanical monster hurtling toward the horizon, in the general direction of where 16 and 14 were.

The triclops moved toward his best friend and let Yamcha use his body for support. Slowly he drifted toward one rooftop, before reaching into his belt and taking out two capsules "C'mon Yamcha, we don't have much time to waste here."

He tossed the capsules down, the two of them bursting into thick plumes of smoke. Onc the smoke cleared, two bottles of Senzu Tonic stood upright on the rooftop. Tien grabbed one and then handed the other to Yamcha, and the two martial artists quickly downed the contents.

While Bulma had yet to make a more powerful batch of the stuff, this current model of the tonic did its job well enough. Yamcha felt his bruises fade slightly, felt some of his ki return to him. A similar effect washed over Tien, his various burns and bruises fading away. "It'll have to do." Yamcha remarked "Now let's get going. I wanna kick that tin man's ass."

With that the duo took off into the sky, flying at hypersonic speeds to see where Android 13 had crash landed outside of the city.

* * *

Nam and Krillin weren't having the best of luck against Android 15. The purple dwarf had managed to launch them into the nearby woodlands that surrounded the city, and 15 seemed more than happy to use the dense greenery to his advantage.

It was already hard enough to follow his small frame normally. He was incredibly fast, faster than 13 and 14 it seemed, his ki could not be sensed, and it was hard to follow his motions through the dense clusters of trees that surrounded them.

15 leapt up, disappearing into the shrubbery of the leaves, and then he suddenly shot back down behind Krillin. One swift kick and the bald monk was sent crashing through three trees, each one being split at the trunk by the monks ragdolling body.

Nam spun and launched a kick at 15, only to strike an afterimage of the purple android. The Indian warrior started to rapidly glance about, trying to get the faintest glimpse of 15's mobile form. He could hear the whistling winds from 15's superhumanly fast motions, Nam just needed to time this right and anticipate where the purple midget was going to go...

Nam tensed, spun to his left, and then fired off a powerful beam of blue light from his palm. Sure enough he had guessed right, but 15 was still fast enough to move into a blocking stance despite his shock. The beam of ki exploded against 15's crossed arms, a great ball of fire spreading out around him, vaporising every tree in a ten metre radius and carving a hemispherical hole in the dirt.

As Nam's blast subsided, it became clear that it had managed to do some damage to 15 despite his guarding stance. He had burt off a bit of the androids clothing and artificial skin, revealing the blinking lights and wires that helped him to function. 15 as growling, visibly enraged by the damage inflicted on him.

15 shot forward like a rocket, rapidly closing the distance between himself and Nam. One powerful blow to the diaphragm knocked the wind straight out of Nam, forcing him onto one knee. Then he backhanded Nam across the face, smashing him into one large rock that exploded into a cloud of dust and pebbles when he hit off it.

Nam grunted, struggling to get up again. His whole body ached, that blow to the chest seemed to be the worst. It was a struggle just to breathe after that hit...Right now, Nam seemed utterly defenseless. Something that 15 had no problem taking advantage of.

With a loud yell he leapt forward, intent on stomping Nam's neck into the ground. Only about a metre away, Krill blindsided him, his glowing red fist striking the side of 15's head. Krillin's whole body glowed red, he pushed is injured body as far as he could, quickly pursuing the airborne android and rapidly peppering his face with rapid and powerful punches.

Every single blow made the purple midget's head jerk backward, usually in grotesque angles that would be fatal for a human to endure. Krillin was really giving it his all, hitting 15 in the face over and over again with all the strength he had left...and it sure as hell was having an effect. One final punch made 15 yowl in pain, tearing away a chunk of his chin and lower jaw, revealing the wires and metal parts beneath his fake skin.

An enraged snarl passed 15's oversized lips, and he quickly drove one small fist into Krillin's stomach to wind him. The second punch struck the bald monk's jaw, uppercutting him clean into the sky. Still enraged, 15 shot up into the sky to intercept Krillin and then proceeded to dropkick him with such force he was sent soaring toward the grassy green clearing where 16 and 14 were taking on Krillin's other allies.

Just as Kami punched his ivory opponent several metres backward, he turned and saw Krillin's limp body smashing into the ground. Well that couldn't be good. He saw 15 landing several metres away from Krillin, extending one hand out and starting to charge up a crackling yellow ki ball.

"Chi Chi! Keep him busy!" Kami yelled, his white aura flaring around him while he raced toward his downed ally. Chi Chi nodded quickly in response, rushing 14 and striking him with a palm strike that made the giant skid back across the ground. He turned his gaze and fired off a yellow bullet of ki from his eyes.

Chi Chi amplified her speed, vanishing with an afterimage at the last possible second. She leapt up and drove her knee into 14's face, jerking his whole head backward. However 14 was able to quickly catch the ox princess by the leg and then launch her clean through several large boulders.

Kami kept charging toward Krillin's downed body, moving like a great green comet. A wave of yellow light passed 15's outstretched palm, a blast that would surely destroy Krillin if it hit. Kami picked his speed up, ki bursting around his body as he pushed his body as fast as he could.

He moved just quick enough, managing to narrowly intercept the wave of light which proceeded to explode against his right arm on impact. The ground quaked, a crater quickly forming under Kami's feet. The flash of light was blinding to behold, and even 15 was unaware that his attack had been intercepted because of just how hard it was to see what was going on.

When 15's wave ceased and the dust and smoke began to clear, 15 was shocked to see that Kami had intercepted the attack...but he was quitepleased to see he had blasted Kami's arm clean off. The Namekian grunted, his muscles starting to collapse inward. It took alot of his strength to withstand that attack, so much so that Kami could no longer maintain his bulked up form.

"Well this is just my luck..." 15 remarked, loudly cracking his knuckles "I get to kill he green bean, and then Im gonna paste baldy along the grass." Even with a chunk of his face broken off, 15 was able to smirk.

He launched himself off the ground, rocketing toward Kami. He pulled his fist back, set to blow Kami's head to chunks with one powerful punch...and then Kami rapidly spun his head and fired off a mouth blast the contained his remaining ki.

The point blank range of the attack, combined with the purple android's shock, meant that he couldn't block in time. The energy wave tore into 15's body, creating an earth quaking explosion. 15's legs were blown completely away from his legs, as was his entire left forearm. His crippled body was sent spiraling into the air, and then it crashed into the grass as a smoking heap of scrap, barely functioning.

* * *

Chiaotzu sat in the silver egg chair of his throne room, a chair so large that his entire body was able to fit into it without his feet goig over the edge. His mechanical eyes were focusing on the variety of TV screens hovering over him, the screens giving him a first-person view of what his Redcoats saw. Gero stood at the metal midget's side, the old man more nervous than ever after he saw what Kami had just done to Android 15. His blonde lab assistant seemed even more nervous trying to focus her attention on a datapad.

"Doctor." Chiaotzu said simply, tapping his chin with one stubby metal finger "You told me that these Androids of yours couldn't be defeated by Tien's allies. Now, on the first day of the assault, 15 has been destroyed. I haven't forgotten what you have done to me Gero, and I am very much looking for an excuse to destroy you. So, before I rip you apart atom by atom, I advise you to suggest a good course of action quickly."

Gero took a long gulp and looked toward his blonde assistant "Hachiko, how strong would Android 14 become if he were to absorb 15's power core?" he asked hastily.

The dark-haired guard at the other end of the room tensed up. His eyes constantly darted between Emperor Chiaotzu and his sister Hachiko. While Nanamaru was only a footsoldier armed with a standard issue rifle, he'd lay his life down to save his sister if the emperor tried to harm her.

"W-well, Doctor, Your Grace, if 14 w-were to absorb 15's power core, my calculations predict that his strength would increase to the point that he would be...7.23% more powerful than Android 16." Hachiko explained. She immediately flinched behind her datapad again. She knew what the Android controller did to Commander Red, she certainly didn't want to face the same grizzly end.

A smirk tugged at Chiaotzu's lips "Yes, that kind of strength should be enough to turn the tide. Congratulations Gero, your life will be prolonged." Chiaotzu's artificial eyes began to glow bright orange as he assumed direct control of Android 14.

* * *

"A-agh...sh-shit...my systems are fried..." 15 croaked out, every word coming out distorted from the damage done to his vocal systems. He turned his head, managing to look at Android 14 looming over him. His eyes had a faint orange glow to them. "14...shit man...you need to get me back to the fort...I need to be repaired and fast..."

"No. I don't think that will be necessary." the towering ivory android said grimly. He shot his gloved had forward, releasing a kiai that tore away 15's remaining casing, leaving him as a pile of scrap parts on the ground.

Android 16 smashed the twin Super Saiyans away with one mighty swing of his wrist. 13 crashed into the grass, Tien and Yamcha hot on his trail. 14 rooted through the pile of metal that had once been his ally, and slowly pulled out 15's power core and memory chip. A grin slowly crossed his face.

* * *

A/N: Well things are certainly getting intense. 14 is on his way to becoming a Super Android, and will the Z-warriors stand any chance against him once he transforms?

I want to give a special thanks to Jcogginsa. It was his suggestion to name 18 and 17 Hachiko and Nanamaru. Seem like pretty good names, make sense to me, and they're better than the names rolling around in my head.

Oh yes, and I used another Mass Effect reference. I couldn't help myself.

**-Person: Great story. Are kakarot and raditz ever going to fuse similar to gogeta?**

We'll see. I will say that the Fusion Dance is likely to appear in the future, but not in a way you might expect.

**-Jokermask18: Another excellent chapter. Would you be open to going into detail about your plans for Buu?**

I wish I could, I really do. You have to understand that Buu is a good deal of time away, and any plans I may have thought up in advance are likely to change. Plus, people tend to complain whenever I talk about things that might come in future chapters.

**- Sardine Tyrant Valzy: I'm surprised Raditz stayed back for the parliament instead of helping to take out an Android. I guess he really wants to help his brother out. **

Well Raditz knows that the parliament will devolve into in-fighting without the fear of a Super Saiyan to keep them in line. If the need arises, he knows the group will need safe access to Namek's Dragon Balls.

**-Guest: So what about Inyon, Burter, Jeice, and the Valiance? Will they be playing any parts in the cell saga?**

Maybe, maybe not. They're likely to reappear at some point.

**-Plasmic: **

**Out of all the saiyans so far who's the stongest?**

**Does this mean vegeta will never be in this fanfic?**

1. Thus far, Raditz is strongest by a slim margin.

2. Hm...Not the Vegeta you're thinking of.


	38. Rampage

For a brief moment the world seemed to hold it's breath while 14 maneuvered the large pill-shaped power core in his hand. Gohan and Tanip knew what was happening, they recalled full well what had happened to their uncle in their timeline and they knew things would get just as bad if 14 absorbed 15's energy.

Unfortunately for the Super Saiyan twins, a brick wall by the name of Android 16 stood between them and the ivory robot.

Android 13 had crashed into the earth, grunting as he slowly pulled himself from the crater his body had formed. His eyes came to rest on Android 14, and then they promptly widened once he became aware of what the giant was planning to do...Why was 13's underling the one to get the transformation and not him?! This was just madness!

With his free hand, 14 tore away the few shreds of his coat that remained. The power core floated up and pressed into his right pectoral, while 15's memory chip pressed into his right temple. Then, as if 14's skin was made of gum, it started to morph around the shape of the battery and chip, forcing them into his body. And then, once both were fully absorbed, the grassy ground beneath his feet began to rumble.

As the rumbling rolling of the ground grew more intense the human warriors, the two Saiyans, and even the other Androids turned to see the change taking place with Android 14. A loud roar, like the snarl of some prehistoric monster, bellowed out of his mouth, releasing a shockwave that knocked back all those close enough.

14's already impressive muscles began to bulk up even further, large 'veins' popping up along the pale white surface of his synthetic skin. A pale red tinge became partly visible along the outline of his body. The band that held 14's long braid together suddenly exploded away, his hair unwinding and forming into a wild mane that ran down his back. Gradually the hair shifted in colour, going from black to a stark white colour. His eyes grew slightly larger, turning into two solid orbs of amber.

As the change came to an end, a twisted rictus formed on 14's face. A slow and steady stream of laughter passed through his mouth, his body starting to shake from the laughter "Mm...so this is what more power feels like...?" he remarked, slowly clenching and unclenching his fists. A few faint crackles of lightning ran up his fists and then dispersed into the air around him.

The giant looked from 16 and then to Android 13 "You two stay out of this. I wanna test this power out, I plan on beating all of these fools by myself!"

13's eyes widened, and then he grit his teeth in outrage "Why you little...Think you can give me orders?!" the redneck Android snapped, forcing himself to his feet. He started advancing to the pumped up Android, looking more and more enraged "I am your commanding officer, so you best-"

14's hand roughly seized the white-haired Android's neck, lifting him straight off the ground. 13 kicked and grunted in vain, unable to wrench free of 14's giant hand "Don't order me around 13, you are nothing to me!"

With that he flung 13 aside, letting him smash into the grass. 13 sat there, a look of shock and horror creeping up onto his face. How could the Emperor allow this to happen to him?!

The bulked up Android shot into the air then, charging to where Tien and Yamcha were floating. Both of his fists smashed into the guts of the two superhumans, making Tien gag in pain and sending a spray of blood past Yamcha's mouth. His gloved hand drove up again, nailing Yamcha in the face and sending him hurtling straight up into the thick white clouds above.

Tien tried to fight back, truly he did. He lunged forward, diverting his Kaioken aura to amplify his physical strength by a factor of twenty, and proceeded to smash his palm into 14's face. The power of the strike managed to jerk the giant Android backward, leaving him staggered just long enough to allow Tien to kick 14's legs out from under him. While the giant's body spiralled upward the triclops swung both of his fists downward and sent 14's body hurtling downward from the crushing overhead strike.

14 was sent hurtling down through the air, grunting from the mild damage his body just endured. However, only a few inches from the ground, he flipped suddenly and then shot straight with such speed that he utterly vanished from sight. He suddenly appeared in the air beside Tien and caught his foe off-guard with a powerful kick to the ribs, the blow making Tien's eyes widen from the sharp and all too familiar pain of a breaking rib.

A wicked grin etched its way back onto 14's face, admiring the sight of the three-eyed warrior in pain. With one swing of his right arm he sent the back of his knuckles crashing against the side of Tien's face, the force of the blow sending the triclops soaring straight down to the ground. His body crash landed against one large boulder, utterly obliterating the thick grey rock on impact. And there he laid, grunting in pain and unable to get back up again.

"Hehehe...Not bad for a warm up three-eyes, but you'll have to try harder to beat me!" 14 bellowed, continuing to grin like a madman. "Who wants to try next? Come on, one of you must want to have a crack at beating the strongest being on the planet!"

Like a bolt of lightning, a blue wave of ki burst through the thick clouds above heading straight toward the super-powered Android. 14 turned, but he seemed to move too slow as the wave hit him dead on and a massive explosion burst around his body. The white and blue light radiating outward from the explosion was almost blinding to stare directly into.

Above the clouds, Yamcha was grunting as he poured extra energy into his Kamehameha wave. Arcs of red lightning crackled around the former bandits fingers, showing the steady boost his Zen Kaioken aura was giving to his the blast slowly subsided and Yamcha let out a long breath, his gaze focusing on the cloud of smoke drifting around where Android 14 had stood moments ago.

The smoke began to vanish, revealing a crackling blue sphere of energy surrounding 14's frame. He smirked slightly and started to wag his finger at Yamcha while the bubble of ki began to vanish. "Nice effort scar-face! I actually had to put a little extra energy into the shield! You might have even hurt me if I had no shielding at all."

Yamcha grit his teeth and dug his nails into his palm with such force that he could almost draw his own blood. "All the wasted energy...you bastard..." Yamcha growled bitterly.

"HAHAHA! Don't get so down boy! Here, let me show you a real enrgy wave, and then you'll know not to make the same mistakes twice." 14 suddenly raised his right arm up, a ring of golden ki forming around his outstretched fingers. A spear-shaped bolt of energy shot from his fingertips, heading straight toward Yamcha at a blinding speed.

The Bandit braced himself for the incoming spear of light, and then with quick reflexes he swerved his whole body to the left to avoid being speared. However, while he kept his gaze focused on the passing energy wave he noticed that it turned in the air and started swooping straight back down toward him!

Yamcha was forced straight onto the defensive, dashing backward and moving from side to side in order to keep back. But it seemed that no matter what direction Yamcha moved in, the energy wave curved around in the air to come straight back at him. Always just a few inches away from spearing him.

Down below, Kami grunted in annoyance as he watched 14 toy with Yamcha. His remaining hand clutched the bloody burnt stump that was his right arm minutes ago. "Damnit...I don't even have the energy to grow my arm back...Krillin do you have any energy left...?"

A wheezy laugh spilled out of Krillin's cracked lips "I wish...that purple bastard kicked my ass up and down the place...I can't even move right now..." he groaned.

Android 14 seemed to be extracting quite a bit of enjoyment from this little game, watching Yamcha run for his life from his ki blast. He was about to end this little game and speed the attack up, only for Tanip's elbow to blindside him and sent him crashing down through the air. He lost control of his blast, causing it to explode in the air and smashing Yamcha downward with the ensuing shockwave.

14 angled his body through the air, moving his forearm up to block an incoming kick from Tanip. He could sense Gohan charging straight at him, so in one swift motion he shoved Tanip backward through the air, spun around, and punched Gohan straight down toward the earth.

Chi Chi swooped down suddenly, her whole body ablaze with crimson light as she drove her feet between 14's shoulder blades. A grunt escaped him, but the Android quickly pumped his muscles outward and released a shockwave that shoved both Tanip and Chi Chi away. He lunged up, faster than a human eye could follow, and started to rapidly pummel Chi Chi's stomach with high speed punches.

He flipped up and drove his heel into the small of Chi Chi's back and sent her hurtling downward through the sky. Gohan and Tanip drove at him from both sides, but the amped up Android was able to block the incoming strikes, He shoed the two Saiyans back, and then he quickly spun around and hit Gohan with a downward chop to the stomach.

Gohan skidded to a halt along the grass, straight beside Chi Chi. "Well...I think it's safe to say we're fucked..." he grunted. He tossed a quick to the Ox Princess while she forced herself to stand up "Aunt Chi I need your help with something..."

"Ugh...just a second..." Chi Chi grunted "Trying to get the number of that truck that just hit me...What do you have planned Gohan?"

"Well...I think the only course of action is to teleport out of here. You need to get the others and gather them to me, and then I can get us out of her." Gohan explained quickly. His hair soon lost it's golden sheen and turned purple before fell down slightly, less rigid without the charged ki.

Chi Chi nodded, stretching her sore legs out. Then she took off as fast as she could, going to help Krillin and Kami back up to their feet.

Up above in the sky, Tanip quickly drew her sword and started wildly swinging her blade at the Android. The metal gleamed from charged up ki, the enhanced blade able to slice clean through solid steel...yet every slash and stab seemed to miss it's mark, Android 14's supercharged body proving more than fast enough to outdo the power of an injured Super Saiyan.

The white-skinned giant raised his forearm up, the blade clashing three times against his arm and leaving thin cuts along the fake skin. Tanip gave a loud yell and lunged forward, aiming to impale him with her blade.

It seemed however that she only managed to strike an afterimage of the Android, 14 himself rapidly reappearing behind her. He elbowed her in the spine, dashed down and caught her by the ankle in mid-air, before swinging her straight down like a ragdoll. Tanip's body smashed into the grassy ground, shattering the landscape and forming a deep crater beneath her. The female half-Saiyan gave a pained grunt and tried to stand, only to collapse backward and power down to her base form.

The giant Android landed slowly, crossing his arms over his chest "Come on lady, is that all you got?! At least try to make this interesting for me!" he mocked. 14 slowly raised his free hand and took aim at the downed half-Saiyan "Oh well, if you're not gonna give me a work out I might as well end this and make mince meat out of you."

A sudden golden bullet of ki flew from the tree line, exploding against 14's arm and creating a blinding flash of light. 14 grunted, struggling to see through the blast and see the one who threw it in the first place...Of course the blast was acting as a diversion, just as Nam wanted.

In the span it took for the blast to collide and explode, Nam had managed to channel his energy into his legs and proceeded to leap just over a hundred feet into the air. "I can't believe I'm doing something this risky...I have a wife and child...But if I don't do something to stop these metal monsters, I shudder to think what fate will befall them and my village..."

Nam oriented himself in the air, aiming down at the large speck he identified as 14. He crossed his arms before him, and then he shot down through the air like a missile. A barrier o orange ki formed directly before him, tongues of fire enveloping his body as he gained more and more momentum, getting closer and closer to smashing into Android 14's pumped up body.

The earth itself trembled when he made impact, knocking 14 clean off his feet while the two crashed through the dense woodlands. Many trees were either atomised or uprooted and flung high into the sky, while Nam's meteor-like body drove 14 deeper and deeper into the dirt.

Finally he came to a halt deep in the woods, the two warriors out of view. Z-fighter and Android alike stood transfixed, patiently watching to see who woul emerge from the smoking crater deep in the woods. Finalyl there was a thunderous smashing sound, then a second one, and a third, and then finally Nam's body was flung through the smoke cloud with a fountain of blood gushing past his mouth.

14 burst through th smoke, his body covered in a few more burns and scratches, cackling wildly. "I'M THE CONDUCTOR OF THE PAIN TRAIN! ALL ABOARD!" His hand caught Nam by the back of the head, and then he dove down, grinding Nam's face into the earth hard enough to form a long trench in the ground "CHOO CHOO!"

"He's lost his damn mind..." 13 muttered, watching the spectacle with a dumbfounded expression on his face.

"Absorbing 15's memory chip has increased 14's intellect, however their clashing personalities are causing some clear mental imbalances." 16 explained quickly.

14 raised his fist up, clenching it tight and making veins bulge up along the length of his exposed forearm. But just before he could bring his fist crashing down on Nam's unconscious body, Tanip summoned up her remaining strength and lunged forward. For a brief moment a golden flash enveloped her body as she drew closer, and she managed to strike 14 in the face with enough force to knock him back into the wartorn woods.

Tanip powered down again, gasping for breath, before she managed to lift Nam up and run toward her brother and the other gathered warriors. "Tanip, hurry up!" Gohan yelled. "Everyone grab onto me, this is going to be one hell of a ride!"

The super Android burst from the woods, a look of pure animal rage on his face as he charged toward the injured warriors. Tien grunted, slowly raising his free hand up to touch his bald head "Solar...**FLARE!"**

The blinding white flash was strong enough to overwhelm the senses of the three Androids, all of them flinching back for several seconds. When the white light died down, 14 noticed something quite shocking...The Z-warriors were gone. Vanished into thin air. He looked about frantically, trying to detect their energies to no avail. Finally he let out an enraged snarl and stomped the earth with enough force to form a crater under his boot.

"We should return to the fortress. We need repairs." 16 said flatly. 14 turned, narrowing his amber eyes at the red haired Android...But he knew that was the case, the Emperors voice whispering to him and telling him where to go.

* * *

Raditz grunted into his earpiece, seeming to grow more irritated the more he heard from Burter on the other end of the comm-system. The wind whistled through his long black hair as he stood on the tiled floor of the lookout. The only other noise he could hear was the sound of Mr. Popo sparring with the young Tanip and Gohan.

The older Saiyan was mildly worried that their powers would attract some unwanted attention, but Popo had managed to put his worries to rest. Their powers wouldn't be high enough to rouse suspicion compared to the likes of the other warriors. Well that seemed like a legitimate point. By his estimation Tanip had a power level of about 2850 while Gohan had a strength of about 2840...Raditz couldn't really read that freaky genies power, but he supposed an Android couldn't either. Crazy powerful little kids, but they did have a strong father and a wise mother.

"Listen to me Burter, you tell the Ascillios ambassador that if he doesn't move his ships away from Alpha Centauri, I will personally teleport to where you are and I will punch the ambassador's head out through his asshole. Are we clear?" There was a pause, and then Raditz smirked "Good. Make sure to tell that to anyone else who gets out of line."

It was times like this that it stopped Raditz from thinking he had gone soft. Kakarot had given him a new chance at life, allowed him to ascend to new levels of power that not even Vegeta had managed to attain. He was a true Saiyan warrior now...Plus he had a girlfriend who acted more Saiyan than human at times, which was always a nice bonus.

He owed this new status in life to his brother, his newfound strength. Now his brother needed him, and it seemed the time had come for Raditz to repay his debt.

"Unca Raditz. Unca Raditz!" Gohan called out, his voice reaching across the length of the Lookout's surface. "You wanna come train with us?"

"Yeah! Yeah! Teach us the move where you punch a guys face out of his butt!" Tanip said eagerly, hopping up and down on the spot.

Raditz smirked at his nephew. Hard to believe this kid would grow up to be as stern and stoic as the one who arrived from the future. "I'll join you in a second kid. It's gonna be hard to mask my power le-"

There was a sudden whoosh in the air, the entire group of warriors materialising directly in front of Raditz. "Lower your power level a little more..." the older Gohan mumbled, wobbling and swaying on his face after all the exertion.

* * *

It took over half an hour for everyone to get healed up with Senzu tonics, and for Gohan to recount the battle to Raditz. It seemed that three years of training didn't boost their strength enough to take on a being at Android 16's level of strength. Bulma came out, listening intently and frowning when she realised they were still outmatched.

"..so that's the situation." Gohan concluded, looking forlornly up at his uncle "How are we going to train to get stronger now? They're all alive and active now, they'll pick our energy up and come after us again."

Raditz scratched his chin in thought and then gave an annoyed snarl "Stupid robots...Alright, I think I can organise a ship to come down and take a few of us to another planet to 'll have to take turns, just in case a group needs to stay here and fight off the Android. And the-"

Bulma made a loud raspberry noise with her tongue, waiting until she had everyone's attention "Chill Raditz, we don't need to take crazy steps like that. As it happens, I've been brewing up something special in the last two weeks." She quickly reached into her orange Capsule Corp jacket andpulled out a small capsule which she quickly tossed out onto the floor of the lookout.

The capsule burst into a thick white cloud of smoke, which then vanished to reveal a silver briefcase with the Capsule Corp logo engraved onto the side. Bulma approached it and then clipped the case open, revealing what appeared to be an armband made of a black fabric with a strange gold metal disc on the end of it "Raditz, kindly slip that little armband on."

The long-haired Saiyan gave Bulma a curious look, but he decided to play along. He removed his right gauntlet and then pulled the band up until it was resting on his upper-arm. "Excellent. Okay Raditz, now I want you to power up a bit." Bulma said.

"Are you nuts? They'll sense me and come straight here!"

"Just do it Captain Hairdo. Trust me, I'm the smartest woman on the planet."

Raditz scowled at the undeserved nickname, but he decided he might as well do it. Kakarot's mate had a habit of nagging until she got her wish. He spread his legs and arms, tensed his muscles, and then let out a long growl as his ki began to increase. The tiled floor rumbled beneath his feet, growing gradually more intense until Raditz had tapped into half of his base forms power. "Nng...I don't feel any different..." he mumbled as he ceased powering up.

"No but there was a rather obvious change." Chi Chi said, grinning and placing a hand on Raditz shoulder "When you powered up, I couldn't sense any ki at all from you. Bulma I don't know how you did it, but that's a damn good invention. Now we can train up here and not give off any energy. How did you make this stuff?"

Bulma grinned and flicked the tip of her nose with her thumb "I was studying some Scouter technology, analyzing how they could detect ki. Once I understood how energy was detected, I worked on a way to block out those sensory abilities. Hold your applause people. Give me a day or two, and I'll have enough made for all of you."

"Not only that, but this could be really useful for fighting in general." Yamcha said, stepping forward and grinning excitedly. "With those things on, we can sneak attack and ambush those guys, they'll never see it coming."

At that, Bulma shook her head "Sorry Yamcha, I don't recommend that. These discs are only prototypes by now. Not too durable. I know you guys don't go 'all out' when you train, so you likely won't destroy them doing that. Still, going into battle...well they'll likely be destroyed pretty quickly."

Yamcha grunted and scuffed his foot off the ground "Darn."

Tien coughed into his fist at that moment "As good as those inventions are, there's still an obvious problem. I'd say we only have another week or two before those Androids attack somewhere else...Not enough time to improve and reach their level of strength."

There was a sudden clapping noise from across the Lookout, and the warriors turned to focus on Mr. Popo. "I can help with that." he raised a hand up, and then a series of large red weights materialized in the sky. They collapsed down into the tiled floor, shattering it apart on impact. "Weighted training is still one of the best methods. And those weights should give even a Saiyan some difficulty."

There was, of course, the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. However Popo was not going to open that door up without permission from either Kakarot or Dende, and he was unsure if they could withstand the rigors of the chamber.

"Plus I can just bring in the portable gravity chamber, let you guys go take turns with it." Bulma chimed in.

"So it's settled, weight training and gravity training." Raditz remarked, grinning. They could do this. He wasn't about to let his brothers home fall to a bunch of tin can men.

* * *

A/N: Well the first encounter with the Androids was a mixed bag. They beat one, and all that served to do was create an even more powerful Android. Will they overcome Super 14? Is there more going on in the RRA then appears at first glance?

**-Super Vegetarott: Out of curiosity, what were the names you'd originally planned to have?**

I had a few ideas running through my head, like Japanese names for colours (Black or gold) and names for different kinds of food.

**-Pointer39: "Not the Vegeta you're thinking of?" Now that's interesting as hell...!**

And you shall get no more information from me! This I command!

**-Jokermask18: An excellent chapter as usual but why were Seventeen and Eighteen spared being made into androids in this AU? Did the RRA not find them suitable?**

From my understanding, the destruction of the RRA greatly deprived Gero of resources to work with. Thus he couldn't finish off Androids 13-15 and worked on designing the 17, 18 and Cell with what he had left. In this, Gero has spent his years working on 13, 14, 15 and 16 because he has both the time and resources at his disposal.

**-Armywife22079: i know its a long way off but will Gohan's canon pairing be the same or will you have an OC? cant wait to read more**

Um, maybe I guess. I mean like you said, it's a long way off. Plus this Gohan is a few years younger than his canon counterpart. That said, characters like Videl and Erasa are likely to appear in one form or another.

**- Super Mystic Gohan: who the strongest human to weakest ? and will radits and chi chi have kids at all ?**

From strongest to weakest, at present: Tien, Chi Chi, Krillin, Yamcha, Nam.

Also, Chi Chi and Raditz will likely have kids at some point in the future.

**DaOneInDaCorner: Do you not like Vegeta or was his death just important to the plot somehow? Also, isn't Android 13 the one who's supposed to fuse with everyone, not 14?**

Ah the Vegeta scene. I wanted to do something that would shock readers, something they wouldn't expect. And what's more shocking than killing off a fandom favourite? And it certainly did it's job, from the amount of Vegeta questions I've received.

As for 14, I don;t recall it being said that the other Androids can't absorb each others parts.


	39. Scourge Upon the World

Eight days had passed since the first clash between the Androids and the Z-Warriors, eight days in which it seemed both factions had slunk away to lick their wounds. The Redcoats had ost Android 15 during the scuffle, and while there had been no casualties among earth's defenders they were aware that none of them had the strength needed to take down Android 14's new super form.

With little time to work with, the group underwent the most intense training they had ever endured, trying to increase their strength as much as possible before their foes made another move. With Bulma's ki-blockers, they were able to spar at high power levels without drawing any attention. The Saiyans however had decided to not risk using their Super Saiyan forms while training, for fear of overloading or destroying the ki-blockers in the process.

To aid in the groups training and to make it more effective, Mr. Popo was kind enough to regularly create new sets of thick weighted gauntlets, boots and chestplates and regularly increased the weight whenever the group got too used to the strain for his liking. The kids, he wasn't as hard on. He trained them in the same way he had trained Kakarot, and they didn't use the ki blockers because their powers still hadn't grown high enough to draw unwanted attention. They were fast learners, that was for sure.

In addition to the use of weights, Bulma had set up the gravity chamber on the deck of the Lookout. The warriors took turns using the gravity chamber, three at a time for a few hours before switching out. With a steady supply of Senzu tonic to prolong the amount of time the group could stay awake, they could train for far longer than tey should have been able to. Of course, for safeties sake the Z-Warriors would use a bed in the temple to catch some sleep.

In the days of peace that the group had since the Androids attack, Bulma had also formed a mobile lab on the Lookout. Mainly she was using it to try and track down the Red Ribbon Armies headquarters through the use of satellites and internet searches, taking the occasional break to tend to Kakarot's illness or take care of the kids. Thus far, the attempts to see exactly where the Redcoats were coming and going from had been fruitless.

It was about one in the afternoon on the eighth day. As usual, the members of the group were either training or catching some needed rest after extensive training.

Tien and Yamcha were busily sparring back and forth across the surface of the lookout, their motions too fast for human eyes to comprehend. Chi Chi was just stepping out of the gravity chamber for a drink, leaving Nam and Krillin to train in the heavy gravity. Raditz was taking a break from training with the twins from the future, sitting inside the entrance of the temple.

Popo was teaching the Gohan and Tanip of this timeline about martial arts, helping them grow even stronger. Bulma sat at her portable lab, chatting away with young Dende and answering all of his questions about Earth. Then there was Kami, doing rapid puch-ups with one arm despite the immense strain the weights put on his body.

"So this satellite thing just...orbits the planet and takes pictures?" Dende asked, floating a few inches off the ground to look at the monitor.

"Yep! My dad was getting addicted to some video game about making and flying spacecraft, and he is a rich eccentric, so he figured he could do it in real life if he wanted." Bulma said, laughing at her father's absurdity.

Dende slowly nodded his head in response "I see. I do not know what a video game is, but the old stories of Namek there are references to things similar to your earth satellites. Before the drought at least."

At that Bulma frowned, and she reached over to give the Namekian child a quick pat on the head. "Namek was quite an advanced planet before that drought huh? You ever wish you could have had all that technology?"

The youg Namekian gave a small shrug and the politely said "To be honest Miss Bulma, it would make no difference to me. So long as I can communicate with my family, and do something important with my life, I will be content."

That was enough to bring a smile back to Bulma's face "You're a good kid Dende. Kakarot made the right choice giving you control of the Dragon Balls." The fact that he had made Shenron far more powerful was certainly a nice bonus, but the genius heiress wasn't going to bring that up.

* * *

Undergoing repairs and psychological evaluation from Kochin and Gero wasn't exactly how Android 14 wanted to spend his time. 16 had been right when he said that adding the memory chip that contained Android 15's intelligence, fighting knowledge and personality to 14's own would cause large personality problems. It was only by the Emperor's will that his rage was being kept under wraps, but right now 14 lived for combat and little more.

And now, finally, 14 would get a chance to stretch his legs. Emperor Chiaotzu had ordered the Redcoats to fly out and destroy Purple City. To make the attack as massive and bloody as they possibly could.

In his current state, 14 was all too eager to comply.

He lead the charge through the air, his new red coat clinging tight to his inhumanly large body and being whipped wildly by the wind. 16 and 13 moved side by side behind them, 16's face looking like a blank slate while 13 looked like he just sucked on a lemon. He was still very much bitter that 14 had been upgraded while he remained the same.

"What kind of population does this Purple City place have anyway? How likely is it that our attack will even be noticed?" 13 asked, turning his gaze toward 16.

The redhead giant kept his eyes focused dead ahead, but he was kind enough to answer the white-haired androids question "By my estimation, Purple City has over 40,000 residents, and it is a rather popular shopping destination. An attack there will quickly draw some focus."

"Hmph, maybe that King Furry coward will send in his army. Smashing their puny tanks and jets will be a good warm up until those other fools show up to try and stop us." 14 remarked, grinning at the thought. He stopped abruptly in the air, and 13 and 16 stopped a few metres behind him so they didn't wind up colliding in the sky.

The Redcoats spent a few moments looking over the vast urban sprawl, watching traffic pouring in and out of the town. "Tarnation, that's big. Let's hope tearing this place apart will draw those varmints back into the open." 13 said.

A wicked smirk made its way onto 14's face, and he slowly raised one arm above his head. "Well, no sense being subtle. Let's have some fun." A red and white vortex of light quickly formed above the giants gloved palm, growing larger and larger by the second "Hm...Now what should I call this technique...? Oh. Massacre Ball has a nice ring to it..." he purred, sweet as a lover. Then, rather casually, he flicked it forward.

In ten seconds time, 42% of Purple City would be wiped off the planet.

* * *

Raditz slowly wiped some sweat from his face with the back of his hand, his breathing slowly steadying after his intense workout with the twins. He pulled a bottle of Senzu tonic off his belt and slowly drank its contents down, gradually gaining his strength back.

Things had been going surprisingly well for Raditz, both when it came to training and working the parliament in Kakarot's absence. The threats of a Super Saiyan were enough to quiet down any potential violence between worlds. And when it came to training, as ever, the Saiyan was doing better at increasing his power compared to his Namekian or human allies. Of course, not being able to sense the Android's ki meant that he had no idea if he had become strong enough to beat them.

Chi Chi approached him slowly, slipping off the thick red weights on her hands and grabbing a nearby towel to wipe some sweat from her face "Hm...Hard training man. I mean, we've been training for the last few years, but alot of that was more focused on learning Zen Kaioken than getting stronger...What do you think, am I getting better Raditz?"

"Course you are."Raditz replied, managing to grin. He tossed Chi Chi one of the remaining bottles of tonic, which she wasted no time uncorking and drinking. "I mean, we've only had little more than a week to train, but the results have been pretty impressive for all of us. I feel kinda bad for Kakarot, missing out on the chance to get stronger."

That seemed somewhat odd to Chi Chi, making her scratch her temple slowly "Well don't all Saiyans get stronger if they come back from the brink of death? Or something like that, you have some weird biology."

"Well, that might happen. But there are some old Saiyan stories that say that when a Saiyan gets strong enough, Zenkai boosts become pretty small or non-existent. I mean I hope that doesn't happen with Kakarot, but you can never be too sure."

"Ah." Chi Chi replied. She sank down slowly beside the long haired Saiyan, ignoring the sounds of combat and training going on all around them. She leaned against Raditz' warm body, and while the warrior briefly tensed up he quickly grew to like the sensations and let Chi Chi rest against him. The princess watched as young Gohan and Tanip trained with Mister Popo, smiling at their youthful enthusiasm, their warm laughter making her feel nought but joy. "Hey...have you ever imagined yourself having kids?"

Raditz gave a small shrug at that "Can't say I haven't. I mean, I'm one of the last Saiyans in the entire universe, and I get this feeling that I should be doing something to keep the race somewhat alive...At least, for a few future generations."

Chi Chi nodded her head "Well I can't blame you for thinking that way. If I was one of the few remaining humans, I wouldn't want my race dying out completely."

"Why're you bringing this up? Have you been thinking of having kids or something?"

"Kinda sorta." The Ox Princess replied. She shrugged and then explained "See, I'm royalty the heiress of Fry-Pan Mountain and the lands that surround it. When my dad eventually dies, I'll be the Queen of the lands he owns. But I'd need to have an heir of my own, to take the lands in case something happens to me. But my dad is pretty cool about it, he doesn't try to pressure me into marrying stuffy fops or the like, he's letting me pick who I want to marry and have kids with."

"Ox King sounds like a pretty cool guy." Raditz mused. He grinned at his lover "So, you wanna have kids with me, is that it? Am I an ideal dad or somethin'?"

"Tch, hardly. But sometimes you just gotta make do with that you have." Chi Chi teased, sticking her tongue out and then flicking Raditz' nose. "But ah...Seriously...When all this Android business is dealt with, maybe we could...try for a family?"

The offer made Raditz hum in thought. For Saiyans, having kids wasn't as big a deal. People just mated to bolster the population and make an even larger force of warriors. Of course, things were different on earth and people had children for different reasons...Still, it wasn't as big a deal to Raditz. "Sure, I'm in. I'll make for a badass father figure if those future kids are correct. And my kid would totally be stronger than Kakarot's."

"Not exactly the ideal acceptance, but hell, better than you freaking out." She leaned up and pressed her lips to the older Saiyan's for a brief moment, and when she pulled away she was still smiling "I lo-"

"G-guys, get over here, quick!" Bulma suddenly yelled out. Despit her annoyance Chi Chi complied and quickly moved over, followed soon after by the others of the group. Bulma directed everyone's focus to the monitors she had set up, four flatscreens clustered together and all four showing something different.

The top right monitored Kakarot's current condition, and it would notify Bulma whenever it came time to administer his medicine. The monitor left of that was an uplink to the Capsule Corp satellite, giving a live image feed of it passing over the earth. Just below those monitors were two other screens connected to the internet, each one showing different new stories.

"The internet just...erupted with news stories about an attack on Purple City. It's the Androids guys, they're tearing the place apart." Bulma explained quickly.

"We gotta get in there!" Yamcha exclaimed "They're trying to bait us in, I get that, but innocent people are getting slaughtered because of it...I don't wanna have that kind of blood on my hands."

Raditz nodded "I'm definitely going down there, it's about time I test these Androids for myself. Gohan, Tanip, you two are coming with me."

The younger duo looked up quickly "You um...You mean us uncle?"

"No no, the two of you from the future...Never thought I'd say that, but that's how it goes I suppose." Raditz mused.

The older Tanip quickly raised her katana up in support "I'm in. Who's gonna be doing what?" she asked.

"I'm going to take on Android 16. I want you two to try and keep 14 busy, and when I'm done with the redhead I'll come in to help you. As for you Yamcha, since you wanna help out, you'll be taking on Android 13." Raditz quickly explained.

Tien quickly cut in "I'm coming with. Yamcha's gotten stronger, but he's not strong enough to beat 14 alone." He slipped his weights off and let them crash into the tiled floor of the Lookout.

Kami nodded and then stepped forward "I think it would be best for the rest of us to stay here and guard the Lookout. In case any of those machines happen upon this place, we'll need to buy some time for Bulma, Dende and Kakarot to escape."

"Good luck you guys. I'm gonna check the satellites, try and see where those Androids came from when they attacked Purple City." Bulma remarked. She could only hope that everyone would come back alive to hear the news.

* * *

After those heading out had fully restored their stamina, they flew off in the direction of Purple City. For safeties sake, they all decided to keep their ki blockers on until they were over the attack site, just in case the Androids detected them when they flew from the Lookout.

Even from a distance, they could tell that this was going to be bad. Almost half of the urban expanse had been blown away, reduced to a smoldering crater that was constantly pumping oily black smoke straight into the sky, threatening to block out the sun. Flames and explosions repeatedly lit up the remaining portion of the city, and other buildings seemed to just collapse at random from the earth-shaking powers attacking them.

Raditz seemed to have no reaction as he drew closer to the city. He had seen worse during his time in the planet trade after all. Tanip and Gohan also seemed to have muted reactions. They had grown up in a world filled with similar horrors. They had seen all the atrocities the Androids could commit in the name of their unseen Emperor.

Yamcha and Tien on the other hand, were not as fortunate. They had seen violence and bloodshed in the past of course, but never anything on this grand a scale. Yamcha looked on the verge of vomiting when he saw the maimed and mangled forms in the streets, while Tien's stoic expression seemed to falter entirely "G-god...Thank god I told Launch to wait at Kame house..."

They flew over groups of flash-heated bodies, corpses encased in ash and frozen in time. They saw several of the injured crawling through the streets, begging for the release of death. Tongues of fire chased the group wherever they went, and the foul stench of ash and death was constantly being swept into their nostrils. It was as if the gates of Hell had opened here.

Suddenly Raditz came to a halt, floating over the burning shattered remains of an entire city block. So many bodies, normal people who could never have imagined this evil hitting them. Denizens of the planet Kakarot had sworn to protect... "Damnit...Find those Androids. I plan on doing to them, what they've done to these people." he said grimly.

* * *

A/N: More of a chapter of build-up this time around, but I actually rather enjoyed writing it. Next chapter starts up the next battle against the Androids, and we'll see if the intense training period will be able to give the Z-fighters the victory they need.

**-DaOneInDaCorner: So if 14 were to absorb 13 now, wouldn't he be the same as Super Android 13? I mean, it would just be them transforming in a different order but with the same results.**

**And I wanted to know if anyone would be getting together with the Female OC Full Blooded Saiyan? (Sorry, I can't remember her name) I was guessing Yamcha.**

More or less. Like Super 13, he'd become a giant, super-angry Android with more power than tact. He'd just look different if he were to absorb 13.

As for Inyon...Well I dunno. I still have to decide how much I'm gonna use her character in this. Though, she does hook up with Yamcha in Fall of Lord Frieza.

**-Sardine Tyrant Valzy: Although, I don't see why he would need his memory chip...**

Effectively it's used to increase the Androids computing power and to add his fighting skill and knowledge to 14's own. But the personality irregularities mean that he can't reap the full benefits of that.

**-Guest: Do you think an echidna would make a good pet?**

Maybe...? It's exotic, I suppose. And a good conversation starter.

**-Humancygrax: Good update Nice Yamchas not the weakest for once**

I really like Yamcha, I think a lot of writers REALLY give him the short end of the stick. I blame Dragon Ball Abridged for the most part...

**-Plasmic: 16 doesn't seem to be as controlled by the emporer as the others, why is that?...Will cell still be a bioandroid and if so how will he reach his perfect form without human based androids to merge with?**

When it comes to 16, I'll keep that under wraps for now. As for Cell, like i said before he's going to be very different from the canon Cell. Think of how Android 13 absorbs power from 14 and 15, and you'll have a good idea of how Cell will get stronger in this tale.

**-Taiyoken: In addition to your stories, what other fics do you recommend for others to read?**

**Also, since the regular Tanip is stronger than the regular Gohan, is Future Tanip stronger than Future Gohan?**

When it comes to Future Tanip and Gohan...well it's kind of mixed. Tanip gives in more to her Saiyan side, leading to her focusing more on raw power. As such, her power level is higher than her brothers. However, Gohan focuses more on honing his skill, and thus he can fight better than his sister. So it's a strength vs skill deal.

For other stories to read, I recommend the following:

- Honor Trip by American Vigor

-Sins of the Father by Super Vegetarott

-Break through the Limit by Captain Space

-Earthling Chronicles by Final Flash X

-Appules Insurrection by Pointer39

- Old Enemy of Mine by Chaosconetic


	40. Finger of God

Even to an android, the thick plumes of smoke that swirled all around them were almost blinding. 16's internal systems told him of the immense heat in the air caused by the surrounding fires. They posed no threat to him or his ilk, but the red haired giant still feared for those he was being forced to massacre.

To his right, 13 was firing off lazy blasts of golden energy from his fingertips, blowing up the various abandoned cars on the road. 14 was taking a sadistic glee in using his powers in creative ways on the fleeing populace. Blasts of ki that could flay the skin from a persons body while leaving everything else...intact. Small sawblades of energy that could cut a person to ribbons before they even knew what was happening. Using his energy to launch objects into the air and crush people into fine paste beneath whatever large object he picked up.

It was too early for 16 to act out. He had to play along in this grotesque show for a little longer until the right time arrived...but he would not be as intentionally cruel as his kin.

16 turned his focus on the tall buildings around them, most of them quite abandoned at this point. Structures could be rebuilt, a human being could not. With precise aiming the redhead started firing quick blasts of orange energy from his mechanical eyes, blasting large holes across the rows of manmade towers, sending clouds of broken glass into the air.

Nobody injured, he made sure of that. He had to wonder where the supposed heroes were. Why hadn't they shown up yet to put a stop to this slaughter?

It was at that moment, as if on cue, that a pair of orange and green blurs swooped down and struck 13 in the face, sending him hurtling into a distant cloud of smoke, vanishing out of sight. From directly above, a bullet of condensed blue light shot down, striking 14 in the back and launching him down the road with a powerful explosion. Gohan landed where 14 had been standing mere moments ago, removing the ki blocker on his arm and transforming into a Super Saiyan.

14 flipped through the air and then skidded to a halt on the shattered asphalt, glaring directly at Gohan. "Of all the stupid things you could do, that was one of the biggest."

Invisible to any ki sensing, Tanip suddenly appeared behind 14 with her blade held firmly in her hands. She suddenly transformed into a Super Saiyan, blowing away the ki-blocker on her arm, and she moved as quickly as she could to drive her ki-charged sword into the giant's back. To her shock, the gleaming steel actually punched through the lower right side of his back and went clean through his chest the head poking out of his stomach while the hilt became lodged in his back.

14 seemed quite shocked too his expression shifting repeatedly from shocked to enraged "Hnh...I stand corrected. THAT was the most stupid thing anyone could do!" 14 roared at the top of his voice. He slammed his elbow backward, hitting Tanip across the face with enough power behind the blow that her body was sent crashing through five different buildings before she came to a halt on the asphalt of another road.

Gohan shoved himself forward once he saw his sister get knocked away, moving far faster than he had when he last battled the Androids. While 14 was try to push the blade back out of his stomach, Gohan lunged at him and managed to land three rapid blows with his staff that staggered the Android back and even left a dent on his ivory forehead.

The ivory giant quickly gripped the head of the staff and then yanked it downward, taking Gohan with it and smashing the half-Saiyan into the road with enough force to form a deep crater with his body. With Gohan briefly downed, 14 kicked him in the ribs and sent him crashing through the adjacent building.

"Hmph...I got lucky. That bitch's sword didn't do any major damage..." 14 said as he wound his arm back and then threw the Power Pole onto the horizon. "I still gotta be careful in case they do any more damage to my hull..." he added in a low growl as he started to force the sword backward through his body. Once it was free, his amber eyes glowed a brighter shade and he quickly fired off a blast that split the blade in half.

Despite himself, 16 couldn't help but find some joy in watching his comrade take damage. He had it coming. He felt a change in the air jut above him, and the giant quickly turned his attention to the figure who just arrived "Raditz."

The long-haired Saiyan cracked his neck and then pulled the ki blocker off his arm, tucking it into his belt "You better believe it." he remarked, before a flash of pale gold light engulfed is body as he transformed into a Super Saiyan.

"Odd. Your energy is at a higher level than projected numbers." 16 said dryly, his internal sensors looking over the Saiyan to round up his strength. With any luck, he wouldn't prove too strong.

"I haven't even warmed up yet!" Raditz said cockily. He shot forward, singing a kick at 16 who managed to nimbly dodge despite his bulky frame. Raditz pressed forward, ducked under one punch and proceeded to punch 16 hard enough to send him skidding backward. Just as Raditz started rushing him again, 16 gripped one ruined husk of a car with one hand and then swung it around like a club, managing to strike the Super Saiyan and launch him into the concrete of the sidewalk, shattering the path around him.

"I too have yet to warm up." 16 said in his usual monotone. He watched as Raditz picked himself up, slowly approaching the slightly injured Saiyan.

* * *

Throughout the web of corridors inside the main temple of the Lookout, Kakarot's pained grunts could be heard echoing off the walls. It was even worse for Kami and his superhuman hearing, able to hear his adopted son in pain no matter where he was or what he was doing.

He'd be fine. He hoped at least. With medicine, things weren't always certain.

After finishing his afternoon training, Kami supposed he should check in on his adopted son, wanting to give him some company for the afternoon. The grunts and growls of pain that filled his pointed ears made him feel such guilt, such pain...He had wanted to protect Kakarot for as long as he could, but that boy had long since surpassed him...Even now though, Kami lacked the means to protect or help the boy.

He slowly entered into the dimly lit bedroom, seeing Kakarot huddled and shivering under the covers. A thin layer of sweat had formed on his skin, making it glisten in the limited light and forming a few small wet patched on the sheets beneath him. Ragged grunts of pain kept passing from his lips, his breath forming misty clouds in the air.

"I recall the last time you were this sick, when you were only a boy of seven. It had been a particularly cold winter on the lookout and you had...Gotten your first major illness. A bad fever."

Kami pulled up a seat by the bed and then took a seat beside Kakarot, and then he slowly reached out and placed his palm against his sweaty forehead "It had been...difficult. I didn't get human diseases, and as a genie getting sick in general was an alien concept to . We did what we could, but our knowledge on medicine was rather limited."

A lengthy groan of pain escaped Kakarot, his chest heaving for breath. "That fever had kept you bedridden for a few days, just like this heart disease did." Kami added.

He pulled his hand back and then wiped the sweat off his palm onto the fabric on the leg of his trousers "I know that you can pull through this Kakarot, because you pulled through back then. You're different than anyone else I've ever known, perhaps the strongest being in the entire galaxy. We need you, and when the time comes you'll be there for us."

The towering Namekian stood up, and then he managed to smile despite the grim situation "I love you son. And I know you'll pull through."

* * *

13 smashed clean through the window of one abandoned department store, his mechanical body crashing down onto the tiled floor and shattering it apart. He wasted no time flipping to his feet, and he reacted just in time to sidestep an incoming jab from Yamcha and drive is knee into the former bandit's chest, a pained yell escaping him.

With Yamcha briefly dazed, 13 raised his fist up and then drove it into Yamcha's face, smashing him into the already destroyed floor and crushing his ki blocker on impact. Tien swooped in suddenly, catching 13 off-guard with a quick kick beneath the shoulder blades that launched him through several rows of shelves filled with clothing.

The white-haired Android flipped through the air and then drove his heels into the floor to halt his momentum entirely until his back was pressed up against the far wall. "Shit...These two have gotten stronger, I'll say that much."

Tien started to rapidly zig-zag toward the Android, too fast for human eyes to follow and invisible to energy-sensing, and then once the triclops was close enough he charged forward and threw a powerful punch at 13. The Android's eyes widened in shock, but with superior speed he swerved his head and smashed his elbow into Tien's ribs with enough power to launch him up through the ceiling and the ceiling on the second floor, his ki blocker being destroyed in the process.

He was about to leap up after the triclops, when suddenly his sensors picked up on a barrage f energy bullets heading his way. 13 shoved an arm out and started moving it at a superhuman speed, swatting the projectiles away and kicking up a cloud of dust before him because of the explosions that soon surrounded him. Yamcha dove forth, continuing his barrage of low-power ki blasts, and then once he was close enough he amplified his speed and released a flurry of kicks.

13 was soon forced straight onto the defensive again, narrowly blocking the stream of attacks while being forced fully back against the wall. With honed reflexes, Yamcha ducked under one incoming punch and lunged forward, amplifying his physical strength and smashing his fist into the Android's gut with enough force to crack the wall directly behind him.

Yamcha kneed 13's ribs, struck him across the jaw with a powerful palm strike, spun around to drive his elbow into 13's abdomen with enough force to shatter the wall even further. He went to deliver another palm strike before 13 roughly grabbed his wrist "Boy...you shouldn't have done that, ya hear...?"

13's right fist crashed into Yamcha's stomach with enough power to make a bulge in the human's back, then his left fist hit him in the ribs and managed to lift him further up. His right fist struck the other side of Yamcha's ribs, cracking two of them, before 13 flipped up and launched his heel into the former bandit's jaw with enough force to send him clean across the building, smashing through the opposite wall and then crashing clean through the building beside it.

"I am gonna enjoy killing these two far too much." 13 mused.

* * *

Raditz felt his body crash down onto one rooftop, the concrete cracking apart beneath his body. He slowly forced himself up onto his feet, grunting and rubbing the purple bruise on his right cheek "Who woulda' thought a guy with metal fists would hit so hard..."

The redhead suddenly appeared across from Raditz in the air, and proceeded to charge straight at him again. The Super Saiyan flipped back and landed on his palms, proceeding to jam his legs out and kick 16 back across the roof. His giant frame crashed into one air conditioner, causing it to crumple beneath him.

Not letting up for a single second the Saiyan charged at his foe, diving down and sending him clean through the roof with the power behind his heel. 16's body was driven down through three entire storeys before Raditz swooped down to intercept him and kicked him clean through the glass window, his mechanical body soaring across the road toward a shorter building.

Raditz dashed after him again and wrapped his hand around 16's face grinding the back of his head and his body against the surface of the roof. Suddenly an immense heat hit his palm, making Raditz yell in pain and recoil his hand, smoke billowing from where 16's eye beams had burnt him. 16 zipped up, reappeared at Raditz' side and kicked him in the ribs hard enough to launch him clean into the sky.

16 wasted no time in pursuing the Saiyan across the sky, quickly catching up to him and hitting him in the torso with three fast-paced punches that cracked Raditz' armour. He positioned himself above the Saiyan again and then drove his elbow into his foes forehead, knocking him down through the sky to the rocky landscape outside the city.

However, Raditz managed to stop his momentum and promptly smirked up at the towering machine. 16 shot toward Raditz again, intent on knocking his opponent out of the city, but once he was close enough the Super Saiyan vanished and reappeared behind 16 with a crackling ball of pink ki quickly forming in his hand.

"Take this! **Saturday Crash!"** Raditz snarled, flinging the orb of light at 16's back. The explosion engulfed the giant, the heat of the attack burning his coat away while the concussive force cracked his bulky green armour and flung him across the sky. He flew quite a distance before he managed to stop himself mid-air, floating directly above the dusty road that led the way into the ruins of Purple City.

Just as he stopped himself, Raditz reappeared above him and tried to stomp on his head. But with superior reflexes the giant Android spun around and caught the Saiyan by the ankle. He spun his opponent around by the leg and then released him, sending him soaring down to the ground at supersonic speeds.

The Saiyan crashed into the rocky landscape, shattering it apart and forming a deep crater with his body. He was dazed, injured, groaning in pain and vulnerable for the time being.

"Please forgive me for this." 16 said, slowly tucking his right hand under his left armpit and then pushig his left hand into his right armpit. He twisted his arms until there was a sudden clicking noise his forearms detaching and remaining tucked into his armpits. He aimed his upper arms at the downed Saiyan, revealing the cannons built into both of his arms.

The twin cannons started to glow with a blinding yellow light, setting the whole sky ablaze from the intense colour. It built up for several seconds, before the redhead Android yelled **"HELL'S FLASH!"** and fired the two waves of light out, both of them quickly merging into one even larger energy wave.

Raditz forced himself to stand upright, grunting in both pain and discomfort from the beating he'd taken thus far. The Saiyan's eyes widened rapidly when he saw the ground below him start to glow brighter and brighter, a signal he had come to recognise as that of an incoming attack.

With zero hesitation, Raditz fired a white beam of light from his palm that slammed into the ground, launching the Super Saiyan clean into the air at a surprising speed. Once in the air his golden aura flashed outward and he promptly flew away from the incoming blast as quickly as he could.

The column of yellow ki struck the earth with an earth-shattering force, a great booming explosion sending quakes across the surrounding landscape. The shockwave from the impact struck Raditz in the back with the force of a hurricane, knocking Raditz across the sky until his body crashed into the tip of one hill of rock, making it explode into dust.

16's attack caused the quakes to grow gradually more intense, to the point that the ruined buildings closest to the blast started to collapse. The light from the Hell's Flash was blinding to behold, and as the attack dug deeper and deeper into the crust of the planet, several smaller vents of heat and light exploded upward around the main attack. Then, gradually, the attack died down.

The giant Android slowly placed his forearms back into place to cover up the smoking cannons. Raditz sat up from his crater, his eyes adjusting and then quickly widening when he saw the destruction 16's attack had wrought.

A deep, dark crater had formed in the earth. So deep that not even the bottom could be seen, merely a darkness that swallowed up everything around it. "Well that's...something..."Raditz murmured in shock.

* * *

Another high-speed punch struck Gohan in the face, staggering him backward until he was resting against the ruined husk of one car. He and his sister had received their share of bruises from the battle thus far, but they had managed to give 14 a few blows too, scorching his chest and denting his forehead even further.

But, as their foe was such a violent and determined individual, they had yet to properly slow him down.

Gohan pushed himself forward with one foot and punched 14 on his stab wound, the punch shattering away his hull a little further and sending him skidding back across the ground. He leapt up and hit the supercharged Android with a powerful roundhouse kick to the jaw that whipped his head around and sent him staggering a few steps to the right.

Just as the young half-Saiyan leapt up to land another kick, 14 leapt above his opponent and smashed him straight down into the asphalt with one swing of his mighty fist. As Gohan bounced down along the cracked ground, 14 zipped down and then kicked him in the side with enough force to send him crashing through several abandoned stores.

14 quickly took off after the teenage Saiyan, his momentum growing faster and faster with each passing second. He leapt up and prepared to stomp Gohan into the ground, when Tanip suddenly zipped in to kick him from the right. He turned, cancelling his momentum and only narrowly blocking the attack.

She let out a flurry of high-speed kicks, each one impacting against 14's durable forearms and only forming the smallest of cracks in some parts under his synthetic skin. Tanip got a kick past his guard and promptly buried her heel into 14's neck. With her opponent briefly stunned, the female half-Saiyan dashed forward and struck him in the stomach with a ki-charged punch, the ensuing explosion opening his stab wound even further and damaging several of his closest components.

"Oh you bitch!" 14 snarled. He giant fist shot upward and hammered Tanip in the abdomen, lifting her almost a meter off the ground. A gag of pain escaped her, her eyes bulging out of her head from the sudden pain. He struck her with another punch, this time hitting her across the jaw and send blood and spit flying out of her mouth.

He grabbed Tanip by the collar and then threw her at one nearby brick wall, her body smashing into the stony surface just hard enough for her body to become embedded in the wall. "I'm gonna break every bone in your damn body! You hear me?!"

"Oh shut up." Gohan said flatly. Before the towering Android could turn to face him, a wave of white and gold light shot from his cupped palms, striking 14 in the back and engulfing him with a powerful explosion, the blast sending tremors along the nearby buildings and kicking up a cloud of dust and ash.

As the cloud vanished, Gohan was able to quickly see the large scorch he had formed on his opponents upper back. Lightning crackled along his inhuman frame, and a low growl rose up through his throat. "I am gonna skin you two alive..."

* * *

A/N: Next chapter, the battle against the Androids continues. Which side will claim victory this time around? Will there be any casualties? Read next time to find out! There are some twists coming, and I guarantee you won't see them coming.

**-Sardine Tyrant Valzy: I'm surprised that the Androids waited 8 days to attack. 13 was the only one who sustained decent damage, 16 and 14 were fine. I guess you could argue that 14 had to be modified for his new powers, but 16 and 13 were both available. Besides, none of the Z-Fighters should be able to touch 16 at this moment in time. **

**I don't see the Z-Fighters snatching a win this time around. Raditz doesn't seem to be as strong as his future counterpart (Who was taken out by 16). The twins shouldn't be able to harm 14 in the slightest. **

It's more so a numbers thing. They don't want to risk a Android going out alone and getting damaged or destroyed because he was overwhelmed. The Twins, even after training, lack the means to destroy 14. They were however able to get a lucky hit in that has left him open for more lethal damage.

And Raditz has had more training than his mirai counterpart.

**-I saw that you didn't recommend BoD in the Q&A section. Is that because you don't like it or because you think it's famous enough? Just curious. :3**

Everyone and their dog already knows about BoD mang. That said, I haven't bothered looking at that story in months. I thought it was kinda cool at first, but since I'm not a Vegeta fanboy it didn't take long for me to lose interest. Plus what they were doing to Cell when he got his Perfect form, made him a total Villain Sue. It's well written, sure, but it's not to my taste.

**-DaOneInDaCorner: Also, why hasn't Popo offered any of the Z-Fighters to use the Hyperbolic Time Chamber? I mean, the Earth is in danger of being conquered by the Red Ribbon Army, so I would think he might consider it a pretty good time for them to use it.**

It's a rules thing, only the guardian can allow him to open that door up. And Kakarot has hesitated on using it in the past because he isn't sure whether or not the group can handle the dangers in there. Of course, there will be...certain events in the near future that force him to open the door up.

As for why it hasn't been used in the Mirai universe, I'll elaborate on that in the future chapters.

**- Full Power: What I'm wondering is when will the Z-Team meet Chiaotzu again? And speaking of which, who besides Tien knows about Chioatzu? Just Bulma, Yamcha, Krillin, Roshi, and old Gohan, right? Can't wait for the next one!**

That's a matter that Tien will deal with in the future. And yeah, only those guys know about Chiaotzu.

**-Jokermask18: Another great chapter. I really like your Chichi too. She's so much cooler than in canon.**

Thanks. I liked Chi Chi in her earliest appearances, and when she appeared at the 23rd Budokai. So I figured I'd make her character closer to that than a fussy mother.


	41. Pyrrhic

Just above the deep crater, 16 and Raditz clashed. The Super Saiyan forced his body forward, moving his arms and legs as fast as possible, his limbs repeatedly striking against 16's blocking forearms.

Raditz swiftly ducked under a horizontal swipe and punched 16 in the gut, followed by a kick to the knee and then spun around fully, using the momentum to fuel an elbow-strike to 16's jaw. Strong as every blow was, the Saiyan's fatigue was becoming more evident, and each hit only managed to knock the Android back a few inches.

When his opponent went to land another hit, 16 swerved to avoid it and responded with swift punch to the ribs. Raditz' eyes bulged out, a silent gasp escaping his wide-open mouth. Not missing a beat, 16 moved above the Saiyan and then drove his elbow between his foe's shoulder blades, sending him hurtling straight down through the air.

He was about to crash down into the seemingly bottomless crater, when 16 suddenly zoomed down to intercept him, promptly kicking Raditz diagonally. The blow earned a loud yell from the long-haired Saiyan, and he crashed skidding into the brown dirt.

Raditz let out a low groan, rolling from his back and onto his stomach. He dug his fingers ino the dirt and tried to force himself onto his hands and knees, a few dribbles of blood escaping his burst lip and wetting the ground beneath him. "Hah...okay...I'll admit...you pack a punch...but I'm not done yet."

"I regret to be the one to tell you this, but you cannot win. You should give up." 16 said. He landed several metres behind the Super Saiyan, his metal feet clacking against the hard ground.

"Ngh...YOU...should give up..." Raditz spat in response. He was about to get to his feet again, when 16 suddenly crossed the distance and kicked his opponent in the stomach, sending him hurtling across the scorched landscape like a fleshy football.

Raditz repeatedly altered between bouncing and skidding along the hard ground, grunting and hissing every time his body ground hit the ground. He crashed into one large brown boulder hard enough to shatter it into nothing, his body slumping down into the newly-formed pile of rubble.

"You are outmatched. I am stronger, I am more durable, and most importantly I cannot be tired out." 16 said as he approached the injured Super Saiyan, his feet making the same echoing clanking noises with every step. "You're not strong enough, surrender, flee, or die."

He stopped just a few metres away from Raditz, watching as his opponent forced himself to sit upright in the puddle. Streams of blood ran down his forehead and from his lips, one of his eyes had swollen shut from an earlier punch to the face. Surprisingly, Raditz grinned.

A slow laugh passed his bloodied lips, one hand moving up so he could clean his face with the back of his hand "You don't know how many times I've heard shit like that, ever since I was a kid. Well you know what? I'm more than tired of hearing it..."

His golden aura slowly grew in intensity once he stood up, ki rippling and shifting around him like tongues of holy fire. "This mightn't work at all...Maybe I'll just be wasting whatever strength I have left...but to hell with it, I am a Saiyan warrior! I'll die fighting, giving it my all! Do you hear me you worthless piece of metal trash?!"

Raditz' aura suddenly boomed outward, tripling in size and releasing a hurricane wind that blew dust and debris away from all around him. 16 stood strong against the winds, even completely ignored the rocks being flung his way and exploding into dust on impact. Still he was worried, feeling Raditz' energy rising.

"I've seen a few people do this in the past...and I was even experimenting with it a little last month. I was hoping I'd have more time to perfect it...but time isn't something I've got a whole lot of..." Raditz explained slowly. A loud grunt ran up his throat, followed by a mighty yell as his muscles seemed to suddenly bulge outward. His arms became bulkier, then his legs grew wider, and finally his chest bulked outward.

He took great heaving breaths as he steadied out adjusting to the new strain on his body. Veins had pushed up to the surface of his skin, showing the exertion that this new form was causing him. 16 looked at him in shock, the winds and the dust dying down as Raditz' aura shrunk down in intensity "His power output...It's gone far beyond any energy detected on this planet before..."

"Hah...hah...I see that shock on your face...I suppose even a lifeless machine is able to be afraid...You're not as stupid as you look." Raditz said, grinning. He stood up fully, slowly rotating his arms to loosen them up "Hm...Truth be told...I never really got to use this form. I was training alone, trying to find the limit to my Super Saiyan form. When I did that, I found that powering up was causing my muscles to swell. Hurt like a bitch so I gave it up, but I knew there was some potential there...I'd just need to make my body stronger to really use it. But now I've got all the strength and the motivation I need to try this fully...let's see if it's gonna be worth all the trouble."

Raditz drove himself forward with a powerful sonic boom, crossing the distance between himself and 16 in the span of a few seconds. His first punch went wide, but 16 was forced to block the second punch with his forearm, the metal of his gauntlet cracking under the pressure. Raditz third punch hit dead on, hitting 16's collarbone and cracking the armour apart on impact, forcing 16 a few inches back through the dirt.

Now 16 was the one on the defensive, Raditz boost in power making him a juggernaut that 16 could only slow down. Several blows hit him in the chest, each one forming a deep dent in his armoured plating, and 16 wasn't being given the breathing room to form any sort of counter.

The Ascended Saiyan struck 16 in the jaw with a mighty uppercut, the punch knocking the lanky straight up into the sky directly above the deep crater. He zipped up after his opponent and then went to hit him again, when 16 suddenly took aim with his left arm and his forearm shot out at away from the rest of his arm at a blinding speed, striking Raditz gut and launching him through the air.

With his opponent briefly winded, 16 used a magnetic field to draw his rocket propelled fist back in, letting it click back into place against his upper arm. He waited until the Saiyan's momentum stopped and then he rapidly moved around until he was behind his enemy. His eyes flashed bright orange, and then a barrage of blasts erupted from his mechanical eyes, exploding against Raditz back and sending him staggering down through the sky.

Raditz disappeared suddenly, 16 blast hitting only an afterimage. The Saiyan appeared directly above his foe, clenched both of his hands together, and then swung them both down so that they crashed against 16's upper back and launched him straight down toward the deep chasm his Hell's Flash had formed in the earth.

With his mechanical foe stunned and soaring downward, Raditz raised his hands above his head and started to form a vortex of blue ki and white lightning between his palms. "I've had enough of you...Take this! **FRIDAY BOMBER!" **With all his might he flung the blast downward, the ball of light chasing after the redhead android. 16 spun around, his eyes widening from the surprise, and even though he pushed his palms out to catch the blast the force behind it still sent him flying down into the depths of the chasm.

From his position in the sky, Raditz watched the blast carry 16 down into the darkness, which soon swallowed up even the light of his Friday Bomber. There was a sudden flash of light from what must hve been the very bottom of the crater, and then a large gout of fire rapidly rose toward the surface like lava bursting from a volcano.

Raditz braced himself, but luckily the smoke and the fire didn't reach high enough to effect stayed afloat in the sky, watching the burnt out crater for few minutes, four at the most, just to see if 16 was going to come up again.

Satisfied that he had done the job, he took off back toward the city to help his niece and nephew.

* * *

Chiaotzu's metal fingers suddenly dug into the armrest of his chair with such force that the material of his chair crumpled and twisted around his fingertips. On the screen where 16's video link was supposed to be was an impenetrable field of static. "I...don't believe this. He beat my second strongest Android!" He glared to Kochin "You useless twit...Where is Gero?! I want to skin his hide for this!"

"You ah...You sent him and Hachiko to make some final preparations on the Cell creature, sir." Kochin stammered out in respose. That was what he was assuming Gero was doing, at least.

"Right...right...The Cell creature. Supposedly he will be far stronger than even 14 is...still. I need some insurance." Chiaotzu trailed off, placing two fingers to his chin and stroking it in thought.

Kochin took a step forward and cleared his throat "If I may make a suggestion your radiance...14 is becoming far too unstable, his current mental condition may make it difficult for even you to keep control of him and his psionic circuits. 13 however, he is very eager to please."

The Emperor's lips curled into a smile "Well...I think you have a point there. Yes, 13 would love to get back into my god graces, and he would love to add 14's power to his own. If poor sweet 14 were to have an accident, well...13 would have no choice but to take his place like a good little soldier. Hmhm...Kochin, I think I'm starting to like you..."

* * *

13 was forced backward across the asphalt, being hammered from both sides by Tien and Yamcha. The two enhanced humans were starting to tire, but not fast enough for 13's liking, and he was still having trouble blocking the incoming attacks.

His gloved his suddenly shot outward, knuckles striking Yamcha in the lip and sending him hurtling and crashing into one destroyed car. Tien lunged at him and buried his fist into the Android's stomach, the force of the attack lifting 13 a few inches off the ground, grunting from the pain.

Before the white-haired Android could make a counter, Tien leapt upward and spun around, using his momentum to strengthen his punch. His knuckles punched 13 in the cheek hard enough to dent the metal bones underneath, sending him spiraling and crashing through one brick wall.

It seemed he was only knocked away for a few seconds before he promptly lunged at his foe again. He caught Tien off guard with a firm butterfly kick that sent the triclops skidding across the battle-scarred road. He caught himself and flipped upright but before he could do anything else 13 charged forward again and hit Tien in the ribs with his shoulder.

The impact sent Tien reeling backward, grunting when the blow cracked his one of his ribs. 13 wasn't letting up though, and promptly started hammering Tien's abdomen with rapid-fire punches that staggered the triclops back across the asphalt. 13 suddenly pulled one fist and charged a punch up, before shooting his fist forward and striking Tien in the face, the shockwave of force sending him hurtling up into the horizon with such force that he vanished from view entirely.

While Yamcha was worried for his friends safety, he couldn't just go after him. Not with 13 so close. The former bandit brushed the dust off his orange gi and then launched himself toward the white-haired Android, amping his speed up.

His first attack was a low-power one, a fast punch to the face that made 13 flinch. With his opponent briefly distracted Yamcha shoved his palm forward and increased his physical strength as much as he could, his palm burying itself into 13's metal ribcage, the impact hitting hard enough to warp the metal beneath the synthetic skin.

Yamcha started to rapidly pummel 13 across the face with slightly-less powerful palm strikes, each blow sending 13 skidding further and further down the road. Suddenly Yamcha pulled both of his hands back, his fingers gleaming with blue ki, like the fangs of a wolf in the pale moonlight. **"Wolf Fang Fist!"** he roared, before jamming his hands out and hitting 13's ribcage, the explosive force behind the attack sending the Android hurtling backward and crashing into one ruined store.

The scar-faced bandit slumped forward a bit, panting for air after the intense exertion of that beatdown...he couldn't give up, not yet, he had to force his body even further.

He quickly wiped the sweat from his brow and then pushed himself off the ground, charging toward 13. The Android sat up, prepared to make a counter, when he felt an unseen force suddenly grip his body. His eyes glowed, and against his will he pulled both arms out to the side, a ball of white energy forming in both of his palms.

He swung his palms together in a clapping motion, and then once the two balls collided it released a blinding flash of light, forcing Yamcha to stop moving entirely when the light and the shockwave of the attack hit him. Yamcha slowly opened his eyes, grunting as his eyes adjusted to the light again...and then he realised 13 was gone. Vanished into thin air without a trace. He looked all around him, expecting a surprise attack, but...nothing.

That Android got away...Damn.

He was about to go after Tien to see if he was okay, when he heard a sudden explosion from behind him. Yamcha turned to see Tanip's body in a deep crater, low groans rising out of the injured Super Saiyan's lips. "Huh...I take it your fight isn't working out too hot?"

Gohan's own body suddenly smashed into the asphalt, bounced up into the air, and then landed on one mailbox a few inches away from his sister. "Hngh...What do you think Yamcha? This shit looks like it's peachy, wouldn't you agree...?" Tanip spat, sitting upright. She coughed up a bit, spraying a little blood onto the cracked tar, and then forced herself to stand up fully.

14 slowly floated down and let his feet touch the scarred earth, a cocky smirk on his face "What's the matter kids? Never heard of Ali's famous rope-a-dope tactic? I admit, I was holding back a bit to see what you two could do. I let you wail on my to see if you were a threat, while you also blew a lot of your power away trying to kill me. You got some decent hits in, made me lose my temper a bit, even managed to hurt me...but unlike you, I've got limitless stamina. I can smash you all...and that's exactly what I plan on doing."

Yamcha pushed himself forward, moving as fast as he could to attack the slightly damaged giant. As strong as he had become, 14 was still able to casually dodge the incoming kick and proceeded to catch Yamcha by the leg. He swung him about like a big fleshy flail, smashing him over and over again into the bonnet of one car, before flinging him into one nearby dumpster.

14 turned, only to be immediately punched in the jaw by Tanip. A left hook struck the other side of his face, then a right jab to the chin that made 14's head jerk back slightly. Tanip steadied her left arm and then swung her fist down in an overhand strike that hit 14's forehead.

There was a loud crack that followed the punch, waves of pain running up Tanip's arm causing the female half-Saiyan to howl in pain, the strike causing the knuckles of her left hand to break. "Ha. Nice try girl, but my head is pretty damn hard." the Android mocked, before punching his opponent in the gut, causing her to crash down into the road and form a trench with her flying body.

Gohan stood up awkwardly, grunting and helping Tanip up. "We might have to get out of here. Grab Yamcha and then I'll-" He stopped and turned his attention to the sky, sensing a large incoming power. Tanip sensed it too and quickly looked up, grinning when she recognised the source of the power. Even 14 turned when his sensors detected the new power, his amber eyes widening slightly.

14 raised his arms up to block against an incoming barrage of explosive energy bullets, a cloud of smoke and soot quickly forming in front of him and obscuring his vision. Raditz burst through the cloud and slammed his knee into 14's diaphragm, sending the bulky Android skidding backward. He pressed the attack, repeatedly punching the Android in the face and sending him skidding back further and further with every hit.

14 cocked his head to one side to dodge one attack, and then he promptly punched Raditz in the abs, sending him skidding a metre back. "Hmf, a new transformation?! Think that makes a difference to me?! You're nothing!" 14 snarled, charging at Raditz.

"You really need to learn how to shut up." the Super Saiyan said dryly. A fast-paced exchange of blows quickly erupted between the two, every blocked strike causing a shockwave that shattered the surrounding landscape even further.

It seemed that for the time being, the two were quite evenly matched. Had Raditz achieved this Ascended state even sooner, not used up as much of his power against 16, then this fight would be done...if they were to win, it would take a combined effort, from him and his allies.

It also seemed that Gohan and Tanip had the same idea as their uncle. Tanip raised her non-broken hand up, gathering all of her remaining ki into her palm and forming one swirling pale blue orb of light. Gohan cupped both of his palms and held them outward, lightning crackling around his fingertips as a gold and white energy ball began to form in his outstretched hands.

Seeing this, Raditz took action and slammed his forehead into the bridge of 14's nose, sending him skidding backward and in the crosshairs of his niece and nephew. The duo fired off their attack in unison, blue and gold waves of light merging into one typhoon of light heading straight toward the villainous Android.

Something seemed to seize hold of 14, preventing him from using his Android barrier. He grit his teeth and planted his feet into the ground, his arms held outstretched and catching the last. He held it in place, grunting as he tried to hold his ground. Gohan suddenly yelled out "Yamcha, Uncle Raditz, we need your help!"

Yamcha pulled himself up on shaky legs, brushing the dirt off of his tattered orange gi "You got it! Just gotta...pop all my bones back where they belong..." Yamcha said weakly, floating up and then drifting to where the Saiyan twins were.

The scar-faced bandit cupped his hands at his hips, an orb of pale blue light quickly growing to its full size. "Kamehame...HA!" Yamcha yelled at the top of his lungs, increasing the power of his energy blast as much as he could, the Kamehameha wave mixing with Gohan and Tanip's blasts, the trio of attacks now forcing 14 backward slowly and steadily.

Some unseen force was stopping the Android drawing out his full power,something that was infuriating him to no end. He held his ground as best he could, but a sense of terror filled him when he saw Raditz line up with his allies.

The full-blooded Saiyan lifted both of his arms above his head, veins bulging out alog his arms as he drew upon all the energy he had left. Raditz let out a long yell and flung his own energy wave out, his crackling wave of white light merging with the combined wrath of his comrades. This finally seemed to be enough to break 14's footing, sending the Android hurtling into the horizon, yelling all the way.

The combined wave of energy died down gradually, and the trio of Saiyan's all transformed back down to their base forms. Yamcha grunted and slumped down onto his knees "That's...one..." he breathed couldn't possibly survive a combined attack like that, right?

"Two, actually." Raditz grunted, spitting some fresh blood onto the ground. "I took out 16 before I came out here...that new form is damn useful...Shame it's gonna be a pain to be able to practice with it. Did you guys get 13?"

"No, he got away...But I figure he shouldn't be much of a threat to you guys." Yamcha slowly cracked his neck and let out a low sigh "Well c'mon. We better go get Tien."

* * *

Tien grunted, trying to pull himself out of the deep crater in the earth his body had formed. He could swear he broke his leg on impact when he hit the ground, because waves of pain would radiate throughout his body whenever his right leg scraped off anything or had any pressure applied to it.

The triclops gradually clawed his way out of the hole, breathing heavily all the way and feeling trickles of blood from his open cuts wet the ground beneath him. He finally pulled his body out onto one patch of desolate land and took a moment to survey his surroundings. He was flung outside of Purple City, that much became clear, and the only landmark he could readily see was another deep dent in the earth, this one so deep that Tien couldn't even see the bottom of it.

Well, he didn't plan on going there any time soon.

He rolled onto his back to face the city, grimacing when he saw all the columns of smoke rising into the sky. They should have been more careful about collateral damage, because their fight with the Android's had just caused even more damage.

A violent burst of light erupted from within the city, the blinding display forcing him to raise a hand up to hishead to shield his three eyes from the light. The same attack that blew 14 out of the city, not that Tien could readily tell exactly what was going on in the city right now. The light gradually died down, and Tien breathed a small sigh of relief when it was safe for him to open his eyes again.

There was a sudden *clacking sound* on the ground beside him, coming from a source he hadn't detected until just now. Tien turned quickly, his mouth opening in mute horror when he got a good look at the figure looming over him.

Android 16. Oh he was injured, a few cracks and dents running up his giant frame, the left half of his face had been blown off entirely to reveal the metallic skull and blinking red eye beneath. "S-sixtee-"

***WHAM***

The blow to the face was so fast that in his weakened state Tien couldn't even see it coming. It knocked him out instantly, knocking him flat onto his back in the dirt. 16 surveyed the human's body, his systems doing all manner of complex equations. "Yes, this one will do." he said aloud to himself.

The lanky Android lifted Tien up under his arm, and then he took off, undetectable to Tien's allies.

* * *

Against all odds, it seemed 14 had survived the blast. Barely, at least. He lay in a crater, vents of smoke steadily pumping out of his damaged body. His synthetic skin had been blown away entirely in the attack, revealing the bulky carred skeleton beneath, and all the technological components within that allowed him to function.

"Ngh...I can...get up...get back to the fortress...get repaired..." 14 murmured to himself. The damage to his vocal systems made it repeatedly crackle and distort in pitch.

"Oh I don't think so..." A familiar voice purred from behind. A sense of shock hit the lanky Android, and he lurched upward as quickly as he could, balancing awkwardly on his damaged legs. He turned, his gaze settling on 13's slightly damaged form.

13 slowly cracked his knuckles, a wicked smirk on his face "Consider this a coup, 14. I'm gonna be the top dog again..."

* * *

A/N: Well did that surprise you? It seems 16 has his own agenda, but how does Tien fit into it? Next chapter, the hunt for the RRA's headquarters continues, and Kakarot returns fresh for the fight.

**-AngryBandit59: I love how you manage to put in the movie villains. When you hit the Buu saga, will you be putting in villans like Janemba and Hirudegarn?**

Ha, thanks. I think I'll try fit them in at some point, but that will be some time away. The only movie villain unlikely to appear is Bojack, and that's mainly because of plot reasons.

**- Jokermask18: Also, I don't knoow if you've been asked this before but will the GT era be included?**

Mm...Sorry, most likely not. I mean this fic is going to be really long, just getting to the Buu saga alone. I likely won't even have the energy to consider doing the GT stuff.

**-Super Mystic Gohan: how far can they take there zenk ken to ?or how ever you spell it**

Thus far they can use Zen Kaioken to improve one of their stats by a factor of 50, but as their bodies grow stronger they'll be able to amplify their abilities even further.

**- VLS: Great chapter as always! Loved the scene between Kami and Goku. When will Chiaotzu take the stage?**

Hm...it'll be some time before anyone fights him head-on. A few chapters.


	42. The Search

How the hell could a man with three eyes vanish entirely off the face of the earth? That was the question Yamcha had been asking himself for the last two days, faced with the knowledge that Tien had simply...disappeared after the battle with the Androids.

Did 13 kill him? Was Tien flung further away than he thought or put in a coma? Was he taken away by some unknown faction?

Whatever had happened, Yamcha couldn't find a shred of evidence about Tien and where he was. He had been flying about almost non-stop in the hopes of catching some glimpse of his former rival...nothing. The others had been worried too, but they hadn't searched half as hard from the fear of drawing the unwanted attention of the RRA. He had been assured that no matter what had happened to Tien, the group could use the Dragon Balls to bring him back...when this had all blown over, at least.

Sadly, it seemed Yamcha would just have to go along with that. After all, his search had been fruitless thus far...And now he'd have to go and break that news to Launch.

He just hoped she had her blue hair right now, he didn't want to face her as a crazy gun-toting blonde...

Yamcha landed on the shores of Kame house, waves of clean blue water lapping at the back of his shoes. He was bathed in the hot golden sunlight, and the steady winds gently blew at the former bandits wild mane of black hair. Nice day. Shame the occasion was so grim.

He walked along the soft sands until he reached the white wooden porch of Master Roshi's island home, and then he swiftly knocked on the door. To his surprise it was Roshi's pet Turtle who shuffled over to the door and opened it up with his long flipper "Oh hello there Yamcha, it's been a long time since you were here." Turtle droned out.

"Ha, yeah, I guess it has been a while." Yamcha replied. He strode into the wooden home, "So is Master Roshi he-" He stopped himself, seeing the great master asleep on his sofa with a rather rude magazine on his face "Oh."

"It's the swimsuit edition." Turtle explained in his usual monotone. "I really wish he'd read those things behind locked doors."

Yamcha sighed and shook his head "You and me both Turtle." he mumbled. He was rather thankful that he left Puar up at the Lookout, the last thing the former bandit wanted was for her to start shapeshifting into the figures from these kind of magazines...boy would that be awkward. "Anyway, is Launch here?"

Turtle nodded in rsponse and started dragging his heavy body toward the kitchen "In here, she's making lunch. I'd do it myself, but I can't reach the counter..."

"Yeah I ah...I can imagine." Yamcha replied awkwardly. He entered the kitchen and then breathed a sigh of relief when he noticed Launch was in her blue-haired state. He had asked Turtle and Master Roshi to do what they could to stop her from sneezing, because the last thing they needed was blonde Launch going gung-ho and getting killed by an Android.

She hummed a small tune to herself, stirring some kind of batter in a large yellow bowl. Hearing the incoming voices shr turned to face Yamcha, her normally peaceful expression being filled with worry "D-did you find him?" Launch asked.

The former bandit hesitated for a moment as he tried to find the right words to say, but that hesitation was enough to give Launch the answer she needed. "Oh dear...oh dear oh dear..." she whispered softly. "W-what could have happened to him.?"

"I...don't know. I really wish I had something for you, but..." Yamcha sighed and stared down at his feet "I know he means a lot to you, and...Agh, I just wish I had some good news for you."

Indeed, Launch had grown close to Tien after he lost Chiaotzu, seeing that he needed someone to confide in. Her blonde self had been attracted to him by how ruthless the triclops could be as a warrior, yet even her blue-haired self found his sense of honour and his kindness to be rather appealing. "Please don't blame yourself Yamcha, this isn't your fault."

"It sure feels that way." he said bitterly, keeping his gaze locked at the kitchen floor.

Launch placed her hand on the former bandit's shoulder and then gave it a quick squeeze before pulling her hand back. "I know you guys will find him eventually." she said reassuringly, just before she reached up and dried the corner of her left eye "We just gotta...have a little fate, right?"

* * *

Kakarot's eyes opened slowly, his vision swimming and trying to focus. The room was rather dimly lit and filled with mingling scents of incense and perfume, slowly pulling the Saiyan outof his stupor. He was...alive. He made it!

The spiky-haired Saiyan shot up abruptly, a wide grin quickly spreading across his face when he realised he had survived the heart disease. While his body felt so stiff and sore after spending so many days passed out in bed, he felt stronger having gone through the ordeal, and it seemed that the heart disease had given him a decent zenkai boost now that it had passed.

Kakarot stretched slowly, working out the kinks in his arms and legs, before rotating his neck around. This wasn't the largest zenkai he had ever received by the feel of things, but it did make the Saiyan feel better about all the time he missed on training.

A sudden sense of worry came to Kakarot as he stretched out. While it was obvious that the lookout was still standing, he had to wonder how many of his allies were still around. Had they grown strong enough to stand against the Androids, or was their threat even greater than the guardian had thought? He had to find out.

He started dashing through the winding corridors of the inner temple, rushing upstairs and doing up his white and navy gi as he ran. He reached the main entrance to the temple, a great white light shining in through the archway with the promise of freedom and the temples beauty.

The Saiyan kept running and then came to a skidding halt on the ivory tiles of the temple floor taking a moment to look over the gathered warriors...and it seemed they did the same, looking at him in surprise. "Yay! Daddy's back!" the younger Tanip squealed.

Another large grin crossed Kakarot's face. Thank goodness, his kids were still here, Bulma was still here, Kami was still here, Raditz was still here, and Popo was still here. Kakarot sprinted across the lookout floor, lifting his two young children into his arms before leaping even higher into the sky with them.

His two kids squealed with delight, until Kakarot gave each of them a quick kiss on the forehead.

"Daaaaaad!" Gohan whined.

"Daddy ewww, heehee!" Tanip added.

He landed back on the deck and set both of the half-Saiyan children down "Ah sorry guys, I couldn't help myself. I feel amazing!"

"Great!" Tanip said eagerly, bouncing on her feet "Can you train with us now?"

"Soon kids, I promise. Things are still just a little problematic, but I'll make sure to give you both plenty of time and attention." Kakarot explained. From across the deck of the lookout, the twins from the future looked on with a sense of bitterness. They had barely known their father at all, and it seemed unlikely that they would ever know the Kakarot from their timeline...As petty as it would seem, the Tanip and Gohan from the future couldn't help but feel some jealousy toward their younger counterparts.

Kakarot tussled the hair of his twins and then dashed across the lookout again, giving Kami a crushing hug and lifting him off the ground "Ha! I missed you dad!"

Kami winced from the sudden pain, laughing nervously at his adopted son "My my, it feels like you've certainly gotten stronger..." he admitted, before letting out a sigh of relief once Kakarot set him down on his feet. Kakarot made it through, just like Kami expected he would.

"I most certainly have. A nice little zenkai." the Saiyan replied. He dashed off again, heading straight toward Raditz who had his hands resting on his hips.

"Hug me and you die." Raditz said flatly. Still, try as he might the long-haired Saiyan couldn't hide the grin tugging at the corners of his lips.

Kakarot shrugged and then extended a hand out to shake Raditz' own "Oh fine. You big party pooper." he replied. "So how has the parliament been under your control?"

"Hmph...You surround yourself with backstabbing snakes and sycophants in that place. Still, I got them all firmly under control. Jeice and Burter and Inyon do some damn good work when I tell them to." Raditz explained, smirking. "The galaxy is still safe though."

"Ha. Thanks Raditz, I'll be able to take it from here." With that done he turned his attention to Bulma, who was smirking at him from her portable lab. He wasted no time dashing over to her.

"If you don't hug me, you die." she said only half-joking, and eagerly wrapped her arms around the kind-hearted Saiyan once he was close enough, before pressing her lips to his own for a brief few moments. When their lips parted, the turquoise-haired heiress added "Also I don't recall hearing any thanks for playing Florence Nightingale for you."

"Thank you Bulma. I'll be sure to think of an adequate way to repay you." Kakarot replied, placing his hands over Bulma's own "So now that I'm up, could you tell me what's happened? Has their been any progress against the Androids?" he asked.

Bulma's expression faltered slightly, and she wondered just what exactly she was going to say "Well...there's some good news and bad news. Good news is that two of the Androids are dead, so that's pretty awesome. And the bad news is...um...Tien's gone missing."

That caused Kakarot's smile to fade and his eyes to widen. He took a quick look at the others and mentally cursed himself for not realising the lack of the triclops' presence. "Wait, Yamcha's not here either. Did something happen to him?"

Bulma shook her head "Thankfully no. He's been gone for the last two days searching for Tien...we just don't know what's happened to that guy...We don't know if he was killed,or captured or...something else."

"Well as callous as this might sound, looking for Tien will have to be a secondary objective. Have you been able to find out where the Red Ribbon Army hang their hats? Killing their androids won't do much if they can make more." Kakarot explained, crossing his arms over his chest and surveying the various monitors.

"She's been doing a damn fine job. Bulma was using this satellite to track the movements of those metal bastards, and she narrowed the possible location down to one mountain range." Raditz explained as he approached the two.

The heiress made a mock bow, though she was hardly humble "I am indeed that awesome. I'm looking over photographs of the area that satellite took over the last few days, and I have a live video link from another satellite going over that area just in case something comes up." Bulma said. "Kakarot you feel free to train with the others, I'll have some information for you guys in...well a few hours time, I guess."

"Yeah, come on Kakarot. We got these new ki-blocker things that can stop the Androids catching onto our energy." Raditz remarked as he led his younger sibling along "Oh and by the way, I have ALOT to tell you about the Super Saiyan form."

* * *

The emperor surveyed the power core strung up before him, a grenade-shaped object that was glowing red hot from all the power contained within it. The combined might of Android 15 and 14, which would soon become one with Android 13. The power core was hooked into one large metal chamber, several wires running off of it and analysing every last detail of it.

"Honestly I'm quite surprised that it's intact. You got rather brutal with your destruction of 14." Chiaotzu remarked, tossing 13 a quick glance over his shoulder while Kochin finished patching up his synthetic skin.

"Well sir, the power core is one of the most durable parts of the Android's body." Hachiko said before she began shutting down the machine analysing the power core "Dr. Gero intended for them to be usable in the event that one of the other androids was destroyed, thus he designed them all with forcefield generators that would shut down shortly after one of the Androids stopped working. That's safe for 13 to use now, by the way."

The emperor nodded and gestured for 13 to come closer. They had foregone retrieving the memory chip this time, not wanting 13 to be even more insane than 14 was becoming. "I just wish we could have retrieved 16's power core, but it seemed he and his power core were just outright vaporized by that damn Saiyan. Oh well."

"Of course sir." Hachiko replied before taking a step back to let 13 pass her. "By the way, Cell's containment pod has been moved to your throne room as you requested."

Chiaotzu nodded over to the blonde "Very good. I wouldn't have had him moved were it not for the fact that 3 of my Androids are gone..." There were so many crude things Hachiko wished she could say in response, but she knew full well how vital it was to guard ones thoughts around this pint-sized psychic. "On that note, where is Gero right now?"

A tiny bead of nervous sweat formed on the back of Hachiko's neck, but the scientist knew how to lie quite well by now. "There was an issue with the hydraulics in some of the battle jackets, and he told me he's attending to them, great emperor."

"Hmph. Very well then. But the old man better not take too long at it." Chiaotzu replied. He turned his focus toward 13, watching as he tossed the glowing red power core up and down, effortlessly catching it in his gloved hand. "If you're going to use that, do it outside."

"As you say your highness." 13 replied before he turned on his heel and started walking from the lab. He navigated the metal corridors with a smirk on his face, walking for several minutes before he strode out to the courtyard of the great grey fortress, surrounded by thick metal walls and great snow-capped mountain peaks.

The Muscle Fortress was the largest and most well-defended structure ever created by the Red Ribbon Army. The main structure where 13 stood now had been finished over seven years ago, and ever since then the RRA had been expanding along the mountain range by creating several smaller bases and linking them all together through a complex network of underground tunnels. And with these, supplies could be ferried discreetly through the bases without anyone being the wiser.

The silver-haired Android took in the scenery as he walked to the very centre of the large courtyard, ignoring patrolling sentries and the battle jackets roaming about the inner walls. He lifted the glowing power core up, took a deep breath, and then pressed it to his chest.

A great aura of red energy exploded around his body, sending a column of flaming light into the sky. The ground shattered directly beneath 13's feet and a lengthy roar escaped him, like the noise of an enraged great beast. The other soldiers stopped and stared, dread and fear filling them to the core as the swirling red light grew more intense and the winds coming from it threatened to blow them clean off the mountain range.

13's body bulked up rapidly, his body growing in height and his muscles seeming to triple in size. While his new aura was a fiery red, his skin tone shifted into a dark blue hue and several silver portions appeared on his abs, pectorals and his shoulders. His eyes shifted in colour, his pupils vanishing entirely while the whites of his eyes turned into a yellow colour. In a manner similar to a Super Saiyan's, his hair spiked up and turned into an orange shade and there it remained upright and rigid.

And then it ended. His aura died down and the winds faded with it. 13 stood there, panting and grunting as arcs of red electricity crackled along his bulked up muscles. "Nyehehe...This is, this is...This is true power!"

* * *

"Well would you look at that..." Bulma remarked, slowly sipping her fresh cup of coffee. She gripped her mouse and rewound the video feed by a few seconds before pausing it. She took a quick screencap and then slowly zoomed into the great red light the satellite detected in the mountain range.

"Big fortress, coloured so that it can blend in with the mountainside. Hm, not bad. Shame you didn't tell that big blue moron about your scheme." Bulma said, before taking a long sip of coffee. She swallowed and then said "Boys and girls you'll have to thank me again, because I just found out where the Android's call home."

* * *

A/N: Next chapter, what will the Z-warriors do now that they know where the Muscle Fortress is? What will 13 do with his newfound might? And just where is Tien and Android 16 for that matter?

**MissAzuka: I would mention the female sayian a little more frequently since you basically dropped her on our laps and then seemed to have vanished just as quickly but thats writers discretion i guess but do hope to read more in the future.**

Well the thing is, Inyon is already a main character in another fic of mine called 'The Fall of Lord Frieza.' I'd rather not overuse her in this fic too and give people an excuse to call her a creator's pet. She will appear from time to time though and will play a large part in one event after the Cell saga.

**Spawnx66: Where is this Salarian you mentioned may appear, is Tien going to be androidified, wtf is an echidna, is Broly still out there somewhere (because in the original canon, he appeared sometime in between Frieza and King Cold's death and the arrival of the androids), and exactly how powerful is Chiaotzu?**

A Salarian may or may not appear when the story is no longer earth bound. An echidna is a spiny anteater, ccording to wikipedia. Broly will appear after Cell. In terms of raw power...Chiaotzu would be about Frieza's 3rd form, but he has several tricks up his sleeve.

**Apope: Wait, where's Wheelo? And...doesn't 13 also need 15 for that Form?**

Wheelo will appear...in a manner of speaking. 14's power core contains both his energy and 15's, so 13 only needs the one.

**AngryBandit59: This is an odd question, but when you hit the Buu saga, could you make an Ultimate Kami? You know, Elder Kai unlocking his full potential and all that Jazz.**

I have a very special transformation in mind for Kami which will appear at that point in time. It will be quite unique.

**SoulAuron: ... that is, it seemes to me, and i hope, that they will have more things other then kaioken for example that allow them to defeat oponenets stronger then them, individual abilities i mean.**

**maybe i am reading too much into it? i hope i am not.**

Well, the non-Saiyans will be getting special abilities in the future sagas so they don't become space-fillers like in canon.

**SardineTyrantValzy: Also, do you agree with BoD's PL or SSJ system? Because it was interesting that Raditz (Who would have a PL of about 200-210m, going by BoD numbers) would go ASSJ (Taking him up to 275-285m), defeat 16 (253m) and then fight evenly against 14 (Roughly 270m), despite being weakened. **

**If you use BoD numbers it all works out. :D**

In general,I don't really like using Power Levels after the Frieza saga, since it's entirely based on speculation.

As for the power multiplier thing, well in general I just like to use the canon x50 thing that the normal SSJ form has. No offence, but to me it just seems like the BoD numbers were retconned in so that the central premise could work in the first place. I firmly believe that if Vegeta had gone SSJ against Frieza on Namek, he still would have had the tar beaten out of him if Frieza just powered up a bit.

Then again, since BoD still uses a PL system (Or at least it did the last time I read it) so I suppose the numbers they use are a lot easier to manage to stop the figures becoming too ludicrously large.


End file.
